A leader in the public health field, Charlene A. Day, PhD, MPA, CHES has spent over three decades designing, implementing and evaluating strategies to improve health, reduce health disparities, and advance health equity for disadvantaged communities throughout the United States. Throughout her career, she has advised members of Congress; Mayors; heads of corporations; and staff in federal, state and local health agencies on chronic health issues confronted by underserved and underinsured communities.   Through it all, she has learned that issues of money and health are integrally connected and that finances, or the lack thereof, can be a real nuisance when seeking to improve personal, family and community life.  

After developing hundreds of successful health education initiatives and witnessing first-hand how money and health are interconnected, Dr. Day began having conversations with families about wealth and health.   She found that when talking to parents, many indicated they had forgotten basic financial literacy lessons learned in school or at home, or simply never learned money management “basics.”  Most could recite money challenges that directly impacted their health, such as: not being able to afford a gym membership or exercise equipment, or not having resources to pursue a healthy diet.