Dr. Pat Bacon knows rural communities and knows the hardships faced by rural families. She is running to bring awareness to these issues and find solutions for rural Minnesotans at the Capitol.
Bacon, a Fairmont resident, is a Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, who some may remember from her time at the Smart Clinic in Fairmont. Bacon’s commitment to the area extends to education; she taught nursing at Presentation College in Fairmont and graduate students at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Bacon worked to inspire nursing students to practice in rural MN. Many of her graduate students were able to experience rural healthcare as her students in the clinic.
“As a nurse for 30 years, I have watched families struggle to get by. They are one health crisis away from bankruptcy. Families are squeezed between caring for their children and for their aging parents,” said Bacon. Another familiar story she hears from patients is not having enough money to eat, pay for prescriptions, and pay rent. Too often, she said, a choice must be made to either eat or stay healthy.
Hearing these stories from patients is what led her to run for MN House district 23A, which includes all of Martin County and portions of Jackson, Faribault, and Watonwan counties. Bacon said, “Not only do I hear concerns from my patients every day, I live the issues. Transportation funding comes to mind on my drive to and from work. The importance of a diverse economy strikes me each time I go to rural communities, where manufacturing is a thriving complement to agriculture. I want to be able to go to St. Paul to help people understand what helps communities thrive. We deserve a strong, energetic voice at the Capitol.”
Quality education is also important to Bacon. ”Children who receive quality education become productive adults. We must assure that education is fully funded. Our teachers must know we support them. This year, with the COVID virus, our educators, families, and students learned about a different way of teaching and learning. They all need our continued support as we face an unknown future in education. We need expanded broadband as I believe school may still look “different” this fall. Hybrid learning may be an option for continuing quality education.”
Bacon is also aware of the state’s current and unexpected financial needs and is eager to find fiscally-responsible solutions to the issues facing Minnesotans.
Bacon will be visiting with and listening to local voters throughout the summer. She said “I am a hard worker, I love to talk and listen, and I look forward to meeting everyone!”
Pat currently lives in Fairmont with her husband, Dan. She works at Madelia Community Hospital and Clinic, and has family all over southern Minnesota.