The Southern District Health Board will handle all communications for the burgeoning South Island Alliance, starting in November.
"It's a feather in our cap," chief executive Carole Heatly said yesterday.
The health alliance aims to link the five South Island district health boards in areas such as computer systems, cancer care, child health and elective surgery planning.
Ms Heatly said it was reasonably unusual for Dunedin to be the chosen spot for a South Island-wide contract.
At present, communications for the alliance are outsourced to an external communications company.
Ms Heatly said other South Island DHBs were impressed with efforts at Southern to improve its communication with staff, which included a more open, straight-forward approach.
The position would answer to communications executive director Steve Addison, adding "critical mass" to his team, he said yesterday.
The communications team comprises Mr Addison, in Dunedin, and communications officers in both Dunedin and Invercargill.
