The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium Educates & Vaccinates at Northern

In February 2022, Northern had the pleasure of twice hosting Dr. Ala Stanford and The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium (BDCC). An initiative of the non-profit It Takes Philly, BDCC provides, "Education and Advocacy for African Americans to reduce the incidence of disease and death from coronavirus. African Americans are being diagnosed at a disproportionately higher rate than other groups and are dying from coronavirus at a higher rate than other groups.

According to Dr. Stanford, "To address that need, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium was born. We have built a mobile COVID-19 testing & vaccination operation. Our goal with the mobile unit is to provide a testing and vaccination alternative that is BARRIER FREE to assist in providing protection from the coronavirus disease in our hardest-hit areas of Southeastern Pennsylvania."*Website.

Dr. Stanford, a pediatric surgeon and Founder & Director of It Takes Philly, talked Northern residents in our mother/baby programs, youth in our Wellness & Resiliency Program after-school behavioral health program, and staff about the importance of getting vaccinated and the risk associated with not doing so.

In April, President Biden appointed Dr. Stanford as Regional Director of the federal Health & Human Services Agency. Congratulations, Dr. Stanford, and thank you to you and to your amazing team from the BDCC and FEMA! We were awed, inspired, and thrilled that several were vaccinated or boosted at the events.