Stafford moved to Los Angeles in 1982, where she had her first contract role playing the dual role of Adrienne/Felicia Hunt on the daytime soap opera "The Doctors". She had guest starring roles in shows such as "Riptide", "Remington Steele", "Scarecrow and Mrs. King", "Who's the Boss?", "Hunter", "Quantum Leap", and "Magnum, P.I.". In 1983, Stafford won her first regular role on the NBC medical drama series "St. Elsewhere" as Joan Halloran. She played the role for two seasons and came back for one more episode in 1986. She later starred as Patricia Blake in the short-lived ABC series "Sidekicks" from 1986-87.