The standard the Winbornes set
Dr. Kate and Mr. Larry Winborne did not write down a community engagement policy. They did not run an annual giving report. The way they gave back to Hattiesburg was the way community pharmacies have always done it, by doing the work in front of them and saying yes when the community asked for help.
They sponsored school events. They closed the pharmacy to attend funerals of patients they had known for decades. They quietly extended credit to families who could not afford the prescription that month. They provided supplies for community health screenings, free of charge, more times than anyone outside the family knew.
That is the foundation we have built on since 2016. Most of what we do does not get written about, and that is intentional. But because you are reading this, here is a real picture of what community engagement looks like at Fairview today.
Free flu clinics and vaccination drives
Every year, Fairview partners with local churches, community centers, and senior living facilities across Hattiesburg, Petal, and the Pine Belt to provide flu vaccinations on a no appointment, no cost basis to anyone whose insurance covers it, and at a discounted cash rate for anyone whose insurance does not.
We have administered tens of thousands of vaccines in the years I have owned the pharmacy. For two consecutive years during my CVS leadership, the store I managed administered more vaccinations than any other in the district. That experience now informs how we organize community vaccination drives at Fairview, with the same logistical precision and a much warmer experience for the patient.
Disaster preparedness and response
When the Pine Belt is in the path of a hurricane, a tornado warning, or a major weather event, Fairview is one of the few pharmacies in the region that has a documented disaster response plan.
We pre fill emergency medications for patients in high risk neighborhoods. We help families who have evacuated from coastal Mississippi or Louisiana get emergency refills of essential medications, including insulin, blood pressure medications, and seizure medications. We coordinate with the Mississippi State Department of Health when wider response is needed.
Senior outreach and medication management
Seniors in Hattiesburg and across Forrest, Lamar, Jones, and Perry Counties are at the highest risk for medication related complications. Polypharmacy, the situation of taking five or more medications, dramatically raises the risk of dangerous interactions, missed doses, and confusion.
Fairview provides free pharmacist consultations for any senior or any caregiver of a senior who wants a full review of their medications. We organize medications into weekly pill organizers when requested. We coordinate medication synchronization so that all refills happen on one day each month rather than spread across several trips. We deliver to seniors who can no longer drive.
School partnerships and youth health
Fairview works with local schools on health education and on practical support for families. We provide back to school health checklists, vaccination clinics in coordination with Mississippi State Department of Health requirements, and donated supplies for school nurse offices in several Pine Belt districts.
We are also part of the Good Neighbor Pharmacy network, which gives us access to additional community programming resources that we deploy locally when the need arises.
Supporting families navigating chronic illness
Some of the most meaningful work we do is invisible. A family receives a new diagnosis. The medication regimen looks overwhelming. The cost feels impossible. The questions are too many to ask in a single conversation with a physician.
Fairview is often the second conversation those families have. We sit with patients newly diagnosed with diabetes, heart failure, COPD, mental health conditions, cancer, and HIV. We walk through the regimen. We coordinate with the prescriber when something needs adjusting. We help locate patient assistance programs when affordability is the barrier. We do not charge for any of this.
What community engagement is not
I want to be honest about something. Community engagement is not a marketing program at Fairview. We do not promote most of what we do because the patients we serve are not asking to be on a brand campaign. They want the help and they want it quietly. That is what they get.
If you read about a Fairview community event in the local paper, it usually means someone asked us to help with publicity for a partnership, not that we sought the attention ourselves.
How to be part of it
If you are a Hattiesburg organization, a Pine Belt church, a school in Forrest or Lamar County, or a community group anywhere in South Mississippi, and you have a health related need we could support, the conversation starts with a phone call.
We cannot say yes to everything. But we try to say yes to what we can, and we try to be honest when we cannot. Serving Hattiesburg, the Pine Belt, Central Mississippi, and South Mississippi.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Before starting or changing any medication, including over the counter products and supplements, talk with your pharmacist or physician about your specific situation.