Arizonans will be able to ask questions of nationally recognized health-care experts at the University of Arizona on March 3 during a free health forum to address the facts and myths of the impact of changes in health-care programs, laws and policies. 

The Arizona Health Forum, "Achieving Affordable Health Care," will take place Noon to 5 p.m. on the Arizona Health Sciences Center campus, 1501 N. Campbell Ave., in Tucson.

Arizona Health Forum attendees can chose between two of three interactive panel discussions: Access to Health Care, Quality of Health Care or the Rising Cost of Health Care.

Besides the panel discussions, the agenda includes the forum's keynote presentation, "A National Strategy for Health Care," by Dr. Richard H. Carmona, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States and a distinguished professor in the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, at 1 p.m., which will be followed with a response by J. Lyle Bootman, UA senior vice president for health sciences.

The interactive panel discussions will be held in the Roy P. Drachman Hall, 1295 N. Martin Ave. and will feature the following experts:

• "Access to Health Care" with Dr. Mindy J. Fain, co-director, Arizona Center on Aging and professor, department of medicine, UA College of Medicine-Tucson; Tony Felix, BPharm, director of pharmacy services, El Rio Community Health Center, Tucson; Deborah Vincent, associate professor, UA College of Nursing.

• "Quality of Health Care" with Dr. Keith A. Joiner, co-director, Center for Management Innovations in Health Care, UA Eller College of Management; Neil J. MacKinnon, professor, Walter H. Pearce Endowed Chair; director, Center for Rural Health; section chair, Public Health Policy and Management, UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health; Dr. Andreas A. Theodorou, professor and chief, Section of Pediatric Critical Care, and associate head, department of pediatrics, UA College of Medicine-Tucson; chief medical officer, The University of Arizona Medical Center.

• "The Rising Cost of Health Care" with Christopher Robertson, associate professor, UA James E. Rogers College of Law; Robert K. Smoldt, emeritus chief administrative officer, Mayo Clinic; associate director, Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program, Arizona State University; Paul Zucarelli, CPA, principal, CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services of Arizona, Inc.

A concurrent Health and Wellness Fair with free health information and screenings will be held 1:30-4:30 p.m. on the AHSC campus' Walkway of Wellness at Roy P. Drachman Hall, 1295 N. Martin Ave. Pre-registration for the fair is not required.