Patty received her BS in Nursing in 1990 from Northern Illinois University. While there, she was inducted into the International Nursing Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau, as well as the academic honor societies of Phi Kappa Phi and the Golden Key National Honor Society. Patty completed her midwifery training as well as her MS in 1992 at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She has conducted research on breast feeding and supplementation and has been an active member of the American College of Nurse Midwives since 1992.