Dr. Alan Bates is an Oregon State Senator from Jackson County (District 3) serving Medford, Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville, Applegate, Ruch and Ashland. He was first elected to the Senate in 2004 and had previously served in the State House of Representatives from 2001 to 2004.
Before entering politics, he was Chief of Medicine at both Rogue Valley Medical Center and Providence Medical Center, and a founding board member of a primary care physicians’ group. He served ten years on the Eagle Point School Board, two years on the Governor’s task force on Quality in Education, and ten years on the Oregon Health Services Commission.
When he is not in the Capitol, Dr. Bates works as a family practitioner at his medical clinic in Medford, where he has enjoyed caring for the community for the past 30 years. He spends as much of his downtime as possible fly fishing on the Rogue River with his wife, Laurie.
- Occupation: Family physician, 1979 to present; Oregon State Senator 2005 to present.
- Occupational Background: Former Chief of Medicine at Rogue Valley and Providence Medford Medical Centers.
- Educational Background: DO: College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri, 1977; B.A: Central Washington State University, 1969.
- Prior Government Experience: Eagle Point School Board, 1990 – 2001; Governor’s Committee for Excellence in Education, 1997 – 1999; Oregon Health Services Commission 1989 – 1999, chair, 1997-1999; Oregon State Representative 2001 – 2004.
- Military Service: Vietnam: US Army 1965 – 1967.
Oregon Senator Alan Bates dies at age 71 (The Oregonian, August 6, 2016)