Fairview Park Hospital, medical staff donate $85,000 to local healthcare scholarship in memory of late CEO

Fairview Park Hospital announced Tuesday donations to Middle Georgia State University in the amount of $85,000 in memory of its late CEO, Don Avery. 

This donation will be added to an existing scholarship, the Don and Fara Avery Endowed Nursing Scholarship, personally created by Don in 2022. 

Fairview Park Hospital, an HCA facility, donated $75,000 to the already existing Don and Fara Avery Endowed Scholarship, and Fairview’s medical staff donated $10,000 as a way to honor the late CEO and friend.

“As you prepare to enter the world of medicine, you know a big part of your journey as a physician will be finding a good place to practice, settle down, and raise your family,” said Dr. Andy Bozeman, pediatric surgeon at Fairview Park Hospital. “As a local boy, small town USA, Dublin and Laurens County specifically, has always held a very special place in my heart. Many times, big cities and bright lights attract physicians and specialists, leaving rural America hitting the pavement hard to recruit physicians from all over the country with different backgrounds to places like Dublin, Georgia. To no one’s surprise, Don had found the secret sauce to getting physicians to not only give Dublin a chance, but to really make it home, believe in the community, and to set down roots long term. 

“Many of us on Fairview’s medical staff are either where we are now or are better physicians because of Don Avery. His ability to find the unique balance between businessman, friend, and supporter made Fairview Park Hospital and Dublin-Laurens County a better place to work and live. We’re just happy to be able to contribute to something that will continue to give towards his efforts for years to come.”

  At the time of his passing, Avery had proudly served on the MGA Foundation Board of Trustees for nine years and was the current chair elect. He was an advocate for local healthcare education and was passionate about creating a strong partnership with the Middle Georgia and State University nursing program with the goal of creating a pipeline of healthcare professionals back to Dublin-Laurens County and Fairview Park Hospital. It was well known that Avery was highly regarded in the realm of healthcare locally, statewide, and nationally, as he put an emphasis on access to healthcare, education, and intentional recruitment efforts to create a hub of quality healthcare right here in Middle Georgia.

“This contribution is a very generous and fitting way to honor Don’s legacy of advancing healthcare and healthcare education in the Central Georgia region,” said Avery’s wife, Fara. “Don was so proud of Fairview and its vital presence in the community, and one of his ongoing priorities was to make sure that Dublin and the surrounding communities had sufficient physicians, hospitalists, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, aides, techs, and therapists to serve the population. He also thought it was even better if many of these people could be local and trained locally, and Middle Georgia State University is a crucial part of this process. This is why Don began this endowment, and I’m very grateful to Fairview, HCA, and Fairview’s medical staff for recognizing him in a way that will extend his impact for years to come. Don was a man of many words, and all who met him knew that he loved his family, his Fairview family, and this amazing community. This donation will continue to help train people to bring compassionate healthcare to those in need.”

Fairview Park Hospital leadership, staff, and medical staff hopes this donation will continue to be a beacon of the amazing work Don accomplished as a visionary in healthcare and that students benefitting from this scholarship will have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Don’s vigor and excitement for life, work, and family through his shared legacy.

“Don was inspirational through his leadership in the workplace and had a natural ability to make personal connections with those around him”, stated Fairview Park Hospital’s President and CEO, Brad Griffin. “I was fortunate to know him and work with him through HCA for 17 years. He was a great leader, encourager, and friend, and we know this scholarship will extend the work he did in Dublin-Laurens County for generations to come as students continue to benefit from it. We believe this scholarship is the perfect way to honor and remember Don and the person he was.”