HarleyEllis will lead St. John Health System's design initiatives through December 2003.

Working in conjunction with St. John representatives, HarleyEllis will address issues including budgeting, planning and construction processes.

The coordination of design and construction management will optimize the health system's overall efficiency by determining needs, prioritizing projects and establishing a comprehensive budget, St. John officials explain.

"For example, we recently conducted a study on the emergency department resulting in the recommendation to increase staffing rather than spend additional funds on construction," says project manager Daniel Caren, AlA.

St. John Health System is part of the Catholic health ministry, Ascension Health, a national faith-based health care organization created in November 1999, as a collaborative partnership between the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System and Daughters of Charity National Health System.

With over 90 years of continuous service, HarleyEllis specializes in health care, higher education, corporate, science and research, industrial and automotive facilities.