Covenant Health Names New Chief Pharmacy Officer

March 2026 – Covenant Health is pleased to announce John Choi, PharmD, MHA, as the new chief pharmacy officer, effective March 16, 2026. He will oversee all pharmaceutical functions in the health system. He brings nearly 20 years of leadership experience, most recently as senior director of pharmacy at Centra Health, where he oversaw inpatient and ambulatory pharmacy operations including oncology infusions, retail, long-term care and specialty pharmacies for six hospitals and over 50 ambulatory clinics.

“In addition to my professional values’ alignment with Covenant Health’s commitment to improving the quality of life of the community through better health, I am excited to join a highly reputable team of caregivers providing excellent and comprehensive healthcare services,” said Choi. “I look forward to providing leadership, support, and contributions to the growth of Covenant Health’s medication management services.”

Choi’s background encompasses health system pharmacies, 340B enterprises, pharmacy benefit management, regulatory compliance, clinical integration and post-graduate residency programs. He has directed enterprise-wide sterile compounding, medication safety, clinical and ambulatory pharmacies, and med to beds and medication therapy management programs. While at Centra Health, Choi achieved $45 million in annual cost savings and championed technology updates, automation and compliance initiatives across inpatient and outpatient settings.

“I am happy to have John joining Covenant Health to oversee our pharmacy services,” said Mike Belbeck, executive vice president of operations for Covenant Health. “As we continue to grow our pharmaceutical offerings, his past successes in operations and cost-saving metrics will help ensure our services are aligned with our organizational goals.”

Prior to Centra Health, Choi has worked in director positions with responsibilities over retail pharmacy developments, program enhancements, specialty and home infusion services, and post-graduate residency programs at health systems across the country.

Choi received his doctorate degree in pharmacy from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and his master’s degree in health services administration from Ohio University in Athens. He studied biochemistry and pre-pharmacy at Texas A&M University in College Station.