A free public forum called “What Healthcare Reform Means for You” will be held at the Macgovern Conference Center at Allegheny General Hospital on the Northside from 7 a.m. until noon, Wednesday, Oct. 20.

The event is presented by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

It is free, but registration is required. You can register online here, or call 800-992-7224.

Allegheny County Executive and democratic candidate for governor Dan Onorato will give a keynote speech entitled “The Impact of Health Reform on PA Residents, Business and Health Care Providers.”

Other speakers include:

• Deborah Rice, executive vice president of health services, Highmark Inc.
• Patient representative
• Barbara Johnston Fletcher, clinical associate professor in the School of Nursing, University of North Florida
• Christopher Olivia, president and chief executive officer, West Penn Allegheny Health System
• Tony Farah, chief medical officer, Allegheny General Hospital

“Our goal for this educational session is to have a robust discussion among health care professionals, health care executives and the general public, and help to clarify some of the basic changes that will occur with health care reform,” Program Director Tony G. Farah, chief medical officer of Allegheny General Hospital, said in a press release .

“Everyone — from patients and the public to physicians and nurses — must continue to take an active role in knowing and understanding how health reform will impact care. This program will be an excellent opportunity to learn more and engage with health care leaders across the health care spectrum.”