Would it surprise you that the nation's largest non-profit health system is headquartered in St. Louis?

It's true. Ascension Health, located in north St. Louis County, provides critical support to more than 113,000 people in 500-plus hospitals and health facilities in 20 states and the District of Columbia. And very soon, it will be adding 100 employees to take that support to a whole new level.

By name, Ascension Health's new support initiative is Symphony. By definition it is "an operations change initiative that will standardize processes, replace information systems and create an efficient, cost-effective shared service center to support supply chain, human resources and finance" throughout Ascension Health.

In short, it's a coming together of shared resources to ensure that Ascension Health employees across the country can continue to do what they do best — provide safe, effective, coordinated and compassionate care to people in need.

"Ascension Health was founded 10 years ago when the Daughters of Charity Health System (based in St. Louis and sponsored by four provinces of the Daughters of Charity) combined with the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System (based in Ann Arbor, Mich. and sponsored by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph)," explained Shari Shane, director of communication for Ascension Health.

In December 2002, the hospitals and related health facilities of Carondelet Health System, also based in St. Louis and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, became part of Ascension Health.

The coordination of these various organizations presented a challenge, because, as Senior Vice President and Program Executive, Ann Esposito, explained, "Each health ministry has different business operation practices."

Enter Symphony.

At youaresymphony.com, Ascension Health explains the initiative and what it takes to be part of the team.

Symphony team members will "create the infrastructure, design the systems and outline the procedures that will help (Ascension Health) standardize processes and achieve new efficiencies." Specifically, they will "create a streamlined shared services environment, supporting (Ascension Health's) supply chain, human resources and finance functions across (its) nationwide network."

"We are looking for team players who demonstrate initiative and are results-oriented," Esposito said. "Generally speaking, applicants should have an understanding of health care and, due to the technical nature of Symphony, it helps to be familiar with PeopleSoft 9.1 and other state-of-the-art tools."

"Of course, not every position will have the same requirements," Esposito continued. "So it's important for job seekers to carefully read through the job listings on youaresymphony.com and align their qualifications with Ascension Health's needs."

Esposito said she realizes that not every applicant will match every qualification, but for the sake of Ascension Health and its new hires, she's hoping they get close.

"Symphony is being created even as we speak, so we are anxious to move quickly in hiring the right people for these jobs. We'd like to have right around 100 positions filled by Christmas," Esposito said.

Employment with the nation's largest non-profit health system — now, that would be a great Christmas gift.

As you might imagine, with Symphony already in development, new hires will be expected to hit the ground running, but Esposito stressed that Ascension Health will provide supplemental training.

"This is a great organization to work for," Esposito said. "It is a very collegial atmosphere in a mission-focused organization committed to providing the highest level of care to the people it serves."

The company's commitment to providing a consistent, exceptional "Ascension Experience" also extends to its employees and is the catalyst that is moving Symphony forward.

If you think you have what it takes to be part of the Ascension Health/Symphony team, apply online at youaresymphony.com.

"That's a requirement," Esposito stressed. "All applicants must apply online to even be considered."