Public consultation on the possibility of merging the Otago and Southland district health boards is expected to begin next Monday.
Otago board chairman Errol Millar said people would have six weeks to put forward their views.
The process will include about 10 public meetings in the two provinces and the opportunity for people to make online submissions.
Staff are also being consulted.
Mr Millar said he and the Southland chairman, Paul Menzies, would try to attend as many meetings as they could as would chief executive for both boards Brian Rousseau.
Board members were also likely to attend where possible.
He expected the question of adequate and fair representation for the two areas would be topical.
It was not the time to be debating the type of voting system to be used, but rather to discuss how fair representation would be achieved.
Once the feedback from the documents has been assessed, the boards are expected to make decisions on their future at the first meeting in February.
Mr Millar said it was a tight schedule, but any changes proposed would have to be organised by April 1 for the forthcoming local body elections next October.
Asked whether Health Minister Tony Ryall had much input into the process, Mr Millar said Mr Ryall had asked to be kept informed and was comfortable with what the boards were doing.
The action was in line with some of the recommendations put forward by the recent ministerial review group's look at the health system.
The boards have been collaborating closely for several years.
They share a regional executive management team, several committees and some clinical services.
Mr Millar said work was proceeding on the regionalisation of further clinical services, but it was too early to say what they might be.
Neither board has discussed the possibility of a merger publicly at monthly meetings.
