A Pharmacist’s Foundation, a Physician’s Perspective, a CEO’s Vision

For Timothy Corvino, M.D., M.B.A. ’97CPHS, health care isn’t just a profession. It is a legacy and calling rooted in an innate desire to serve—a desire that coalesced during his time at St. John’s University.

Today, Dr. Corvino is Chief Executive Officer of Orthopedic Care Partners, a private equity-backed family of high-performing orthopedic practices. 

The son of a pharmacist and a nurse, Dr. Corvino’s journey into the profession began at St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. However, his desire to serve dates back even farther.

“My father got his graduate degree at St. John’s and had multiple leadership roles in pharmacy. My mother spent most of her career at Montefiore Medical Center as the nursing director of perioperative surgery. They worked a ton—work is what they knew.”

Growing up in a family where both sides were deeply involved in patient care made Dr. Corvino’s choice of profession inevitable. “They were about taking care of people, one another, and their kids, and the value of family. They instilled in me a strong ethic for meaningful, impactful work. That’s why I’m in health care. I never imagined doing anything else.”

Dr. Corvino noted his eventual goal was medical school, but his father taught him the value of the allied health sciences and how learning them first would be a boon to his goal. His father was a friend of Robert A. Mangione ’77CPHS, ’79M.S., ’93P.D., ’99Ed.D., former Provost and Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, someone Dr. Corvino would come to see as a model for servant leadership. 

“He is an amazing man with an amazing heart who truly cares about people,” he reflected. “He was such an advocate for students and for the profession of pharmacy in general.”

Dr. Corvino also saw St. John’s as a school that offered him the flexibility to do outside work that complemented his studies. During his time there, he worked with his mother in the critical care unit at Montefiore as a pharmacy intern.

At St. John’s, Dr. Corvino made impactful personal and professional connections that helped pave his way toward a successful career. 

Membership in the St. John’s chapter of the pharmacy fraternity Phi Delta Chi was his bridge to a meaningful student experience. “Having that connection through my fraternity brothers, and it being specific to pharmacy, made what was a commuter school into something much more,” he explained. “It established my connection to the University and gave me reason to stick around.”

Eventually, Dr. Corvino became President of St. John’s chapter of the American Pharmacists Association. “We really tried to bring a richer pharmacy school experience to the students,” he shared. “We brought in representatives from CVS, Walgreens, and different drug companies to speak to students about their options after graduation. We wanted to engage students with the broader pharmacy community.”

Another personal inspiration for Dr. Corvino was the late Pamela Shea-Byrnes, D.Min. ’86SVC, ’90M.A., former Vice President for University Ministry and University Events. “Pam helped me navigate everything from religion to student life. She taught me about leadership, long-term vision, and taking the view from 50,000 feet.”

After graduation, Dr. Corvino attended medical school. While there, he worked nearly full time as a pharmacist to help pay for his education. “I really believe what I learned at St. John’s and working in pharmacies helped make me a better physician.”

Eventually, Dr. Corvino earned hisMaster of Business Administration degree and entered the private equity industry. “For the last 10 or 15 years, my career has been about creating platforms where physicians who are sponsor backed can continue to own and work for their practices.”

He added, “Physicians deserve to spend more time taking care of patients—not on administrative burdens.”

Raised in a household where health care was a calling, not a career, Dr. Corvino still honors that legacy, now so on a national stage. “Ultimately, with health care and taking care of folks, that is one of the most important things that we as a society do. We can never lose that focus.”