Kinney Drugs recently announced the election of John M. Marraffa as president.

Marraffa joined KPH Healthcare Services in 2019 as vice president of government affairs and healthcare services integration. Since then, he launched a new division, “Kinnect,” an onsite pharmacy for specialized healthcare facilities. He also expanded Kinney’s “Delivery at Discharge” program, introduced a patient safety organization, and lead Kinney’s corporate COVID-19 vaccination and testing response.

Marraffa also serves as patient safety officer to provide leadership and direction to the organization’s patient safety strategy. He is responsible for continuously evaluating and improving patient safety programs based on internal needs and external requirements and standards. John also serves as the organization’s HIPAA officer.

Before joining the company in 2019, John had a 14-year career with Walgreens, where he most recently served as regional healthcare director for New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. John earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where he served as oresident of the Class of 2003. Licensed to practice pharmacy in New York, Illinois, and Vermont, Marraffa has been very active in his profession for many years.

He was appointed to the New York State Board of Pharmacy in 2014 and he is currently serving his second term as board chairman. He was selected to join the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) President’s Advisory Council in 2015 and Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (BUSPPS) President’s Advisory Committee in 2016.

He currently serves as an adjunct experiential preceptor for pharmacy colleges across New York state. John was an active member of the ACPHS Professionalism Task Force and was president of the ACPHS Alumni Council from 2008-2011.

“John is extremely well-qualified to lead the dedicated team of Kinney Drugs employee-owners. John really knows his stuff and is a natural leader with a true talent for getting to the heart of a matter, taking decisive action, and doing whatever it takes to accomplish objectives. I am confident that he will propel our company forward at a time of great change within the retail drugstores and pharmacies. Internally, he will galvanize our teams and foster an environment of excellence that will continue to attract the highest caliber of talent,” said CEO David Warner.

involvement is also very important to Mr. Marraffa. He served as corporate walk chair for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “Light the Night” walks and served on the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Planning Committee and received its Shining Star Award for exemplary service. Marraffa and his wife Lauren reside in Fayetteville, NY with their two sons, Nico and JJ, and two boxers, Junie and Billy. “I am thrilled to lead our drugstore team and will work tirelessly to promote a vision of growth as we enter this transformational era of pharmacy,” said Marraffa. “My vision is to create a customer experience unmatched by others. By building on our 118-year history, I hope to reinforce a standard of excellence that transcends traditional pharmacy. We must be different. By expanding our services, enhancing the patient experience, and maximizing our partnerships, I believe that Kinney Drugs will become a premier health care destination. I am very excited to become part of this Kinney legacy.”