Black Doctor Says 2 Flight Attendants Racially Profiled Her As She Tried To Assist Ailing Passenger

A Black doctor believes she was racially profiled after not one, but two flight attendants questioned her credentials and medical license as she was trying to stabilize and ailing passenger. According to CNN, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, a physician who is also an expert in obesity medicine, was flying from Indianapolis to Boston earlier this week when the woman next to her started shaking and hyperventilating. Stanford had already jumped into action when one flight attendant checked in. The flight attendant asked if Stanford was a doctor, which Stanford confirmed. The doctor continued to work with the passenger when yet another flight attendant came by and asked for a medical license. Stanford complied, showing her license. Still, after all of that both flight attendants returned and questioned her credentials asking her if the license she was carrying was actually hers. Because, you know, people regularly go around impersonating doctors and carrying phony medical licenses. “The validity of me as a physician is being called into question,” Stanford told the network, describing her encounter as “bewildering.”

@Delta my experience last night when a fellow passenger needed help shows that being a @harvardmed @MassGeneralMDs does not shield from #racism #WhatADoctorLooksLike #ILookLikeADoctor #ILookLikeASurgeon #BiasInMedicine #implicitbias #BlackWomenDoctors do exist. https://t.co/PMZTEUyurx

— Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, FAAP, FACP (@fstanfordmd) October 31, 2018

Delta later tweeted back ta the good doctor, saying that the company does not “condone discrimination.”

I am so sorry for your frustration Dr. Stanford. Please know that Delta does not condone discrimination for any reason and we take your comments very seriously. We are looking into further and will be reaching out to you directly. HTD

— Delta (@Delta) October 31, 2018

The company noted that it intended to reach out to the doctor directly. Stanford told CNN that an executive assistant called her and told her that the company would be investigating the matter. Delta spokesperson Anthony Black said in a statement the the attendants apparently “initially misread the credentials offered by the doctor and went to reconfirm her specific discipline.” “We are following up with the crew to ensure proper policy is followed. Dr. Stanford’s care for the passenger remained uninterrupted throughout the duration of the medical issue,” Black said. However, Stanford is still left “quite uncertain” about the whole situation, she tweeted, and if any real change will come.

So I spoke with @Delta and I left the conversation quite uncertain that any changes will be made. Summary: flight attendants thought I was a #therapist despite #MDlicense. They will make sure this is addressed. Thanks for being a #skymiles member. Really?!$ #iamadoctor

— Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, FAAP, FACP (@fstanfordmd) October 31, 2018

It is not the first time Delta has been accused of discrimination by a black female doctor. Back in 2016, Dr. Tamika Cross, an OB-GYN was flying from Detroit to Minneapolis when she too tried to help out a passenger in distress. However, instead of being questioned, Cross was actually stopped from helping the sick passenger.