Our Mission & Leadership
Live Health Foundation was born from a simple conviction: that preventive healthcare should be accessible to everyone, not just those with comprehensive insurance or proximity to affluent medical centers. Since 2011, we have grown from a grassroots screening initiative into one of Charlotte's most trusted community health organizations.
Mission, Vision & Core Values
Our Mission
To eliminate preventable chronic disease in the greater Charlotte metropolitan area by providing free, culturally competent, evidence-based health screenings, nutrition education, and wellness programming to underserved communities, with a focus on populations disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
Our Vision
A Charlotte where every resident, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or insurance coverage, has equal opportunity to live a long, healthy life through proactive prevention, health literacy, and sustained community wellness infrastructure.
Core Values
Health Equity
We design every program to address the structural barriers — geographic, economic, linguistic, and cultural — that prevent equitable access to preventive healthcare.
Evidence-Based Practice
Our curricula and screening protocols are rooted in peer-reviewed clinical research and aligned with guidelines from the CDC, AHA, and USPSTF.
Community Partnership
We collaborate with healthcare systems, municipal agencies, faith communities, and volunteer professionals to amplify our collective impact.
Transparency
We publish measurable program outcomes and audited financial statements, holding ourselves accountable to the communities and donors who make our work possible.
Executive Director & Founder
Dr. Tamara Whitfield, MPH
Executive Director & Founder
Dr. Tamara Whitfield founded Live Health Foundation in March 2011 after spending over a decade in federal public health service. A graduate of Spelman College (B.S., Biology) and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (MPH, Health Policy and Management), Dr. Whitfield began her career as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, where she specialized in chronic disease epidemiology and community-based participatory research.
During her eight years at the CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, Dr. Whitfield led field investigations into the social determinants of health driving disparities in type 2 diabetes prevalence among rural and urban minority populations in the southeastern United States. Her research contributions appear in the American Journal of Public Health, Preventing Chronic Disease, and the Journal of Community Health.
After relocating to Charlotte with her family, Dr. Whitfield observed firsthand the gap between the city's world-class hospital systems and the preventive health needs of its most vulnerable neighborhoods. She launched Live Health Foundation with a $15,000 personal investment, a borrowed blood pressure cuff, and a partnership with one East Charlotte church that offered its fellowship hall for the first quarterly screening. Today, the organization she built serves over 4,800 residents annually across 12 recurring community locations.
Dr. Whitfield serves on the Mecklenburg County Community Health Assessment Advisory Committee, the NC Institute for Public Health Advisory Council, and the American Public Health Association's Community Health Planning Special Interest Group. She resides in Charlotte with her husband, two children, and a very patient labrador retriever.
Board of Directors
Live Health Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprising healthcare professionals, community leaders, legal and financial experts, and civic advocates committed to advancing health equity in the Charlotte region.
Board Chair
Interventional Cardiologist, Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Atrium Health. Duke University School of Medicine. 22 years clinical practice.
Vice Chair
Partner, Health Policy Practice Group, Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson PA. UNC School of Law. Specializes in nonprofit compliance and healthcare regulation.
Treasurer
Managing Partner, Patterson Consulting Group. Former audit manager at Dixon Hughes Goodman. 18 years nonprofit financial oversight experience.
Secretary
Senior Pastor, Greater Faith Community Church, East Charlotte. Community health advocate and screening site host since 2012.
Board Member
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, UNC Charlotte. Research focus: Latino health disparities and community-based participatory research methods.
Board Member
VP of Corporate Social Responsibility, Lowe's Companies, Inc. Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC Chapel Hill. Expertise in strategic philanthropy and community investment.