For Ellis, healthcare construction isn’t just about walls, schedules and finishes — it’s about people.
For more than a decade, he has brought that mindset to Corewell Health’s Butterworth (BW) Campus, where he’s become a trusted presence, a problem solver and a partner the facilities and clinical staff actively seek out.
Ellis began working at Corewell in 2015, initially supporting small projects with a previous employer. When he joined Christman years later, it was serendipitous he was placed back on the same campus, picking up right where he had left off.
Now, after 11 consecutive years on the BW Campus, Ellis brings deep healthcare knowledge and a steady, people-first approach to some of the hospital’s most complex work, including the ongoing Corewell Butterworth O.R Modernization Project.
As a project superintendent with Christman for the past two years, Ellis owns the day-to-day coordination of the work in the field, including safety, resolving conflicts and keeping projects moving forward. His expertise is especially critical in active healthcare environments, where patient safety is non-negotiable.
“I go into every project with the mindset that this is their space,” Ellis says. “What can we do to minimize the impact construction has on the patients and clinical staff to make it better for the people who work and heal here every day?”
Ellis is a key contributor to Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) and Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM) training, ensuring trade partners understand and follow strict protocols. Before construction begins, he works closely with hospital project managers, infection prevention teams, and clinical staff to review containment plans, walk through separation measures and lead Christman’s healthcare safety orientation so expectations are clear from day one.
That expertise often changes outcomes. On one project, Ellis identified a potential workflow issue just before door frames were installed. Knowing that healthcare staff were not trained to read construction drawings, he walked the space with the clinical team and translated the plans into real-world use — explaining door swings and the room layout.
That conversation revealed that several doors needed to swing in the opposite direction to support clinical workflow, something that was not obvious to the team based on the drawings. Because the issue was caught early, the project team was able to make the necessary changes before construction progressed, ultimately saving time, cost and improving the department’s workflow without delaying the initial completion date.
Ellis defines leadership as protecting patients and supporting the people around him, whether that’s the trades, maintenance teams or clinical staff. In a hospital that serves cancer patients, surgical departments and emergency care, he knows that following protocols isn’t optional.
On a great day, the trades arrive with the right manpower and materials, there are no unplanned utility interruptions, and areas outside containment remain clean and safe. If something slips, Ellis doesn’t hesitate to step in, pulling individuals aside to reinforce standards and ensure Christman’s commitments are upheld.
He shows leadership by bringing others into the process. From coordinating with MEP trades to involving maintenance teams in finish selections, Ellis believes the best solutions come from collaboration.
Ellis’s strongest partnerships are built on trust, especially with Corewell’s project management team, a relationship that dates back to 2016. That trust has been earned through consistency, craftsmanship and honoring commitments, even when deadlines get tight.
“Sometimes that means staying late to get a job done,” Ellis said. “If I say I’ll finish it, I will.”
That reputation was on full display during a ribbon cutting for the Corewell BW ER project, where Ellis received hugs (and even a standing ovation) from hospital staff. It’s a rare moment in construction, but one that speaks volumes about the impact of his approach.
Ellis sees Christman’s purpose most clearly in honoring commitments, from preconstruction planning through project closeout. One of his proudest recent accomplishments is the Lemmen Holton Cancer Pavilion, a project that brought previously scattered departments together to improve workflow and patient care.
“Every project is impactful,” he says. “Hearing how it’s going to help the clinical team and patients, that’s when you realize, ‘I was part of that. I helped build that.’”