GRANITE FALLS, Minnesota, October 8, 2025—Pioneer PBS will premiere a new special, “Dr. Nellie Barsness: Minnesota’s Medical Pioneer,” on Thursday, October 9 at 7 p.m. on Pioneer PBS (Appleton: 10-1, Worthington: 20-1, Fergus Falls: 8-1 | Dish, DirecTV, Mediacom), with an encore presentation on Sunday, October 12 at 7 p.m. Viewers can check local listings and the Pioneer PBS showtimes page for additional air dates on other PBS stations across Minnesota and surrounding states.
During World War I, female doctors were barred from serving in the U.S. military—but that didn’t stop Minnesota’s groundbreaking physician, Dr. Nellie Barsness. Determined to serve, she joined the French Army and provided medical care to thousands of soldiers and civilians.
As one of the first women to graduate from the University of Minnesota with a degree in medicine, Dr. Barsness went on to have a distinguished career in St. Paul, serving as both a specialist and a general practitioner. “Dr. Nellie Barsness: Minnesota’s Medical Pioneer” traces her remarkable journey—from her humble beginnings as the daughter of Norwegian immigrants to her lasting legacy as a medical innovator and humanitarian who made an indelible mark on Minnesota and the world.
Viewers in the Pioneer PBS region can livestream this special on the premiere day at pioneer.org/live, on YouTube TV, Prime Video, Hulu Live, or via the “Live TV” button on the PBS app and pbs.org. Additionally, all specials are also for on-demand viewing at: pioneer.org/specials, the PBS app, Pioneer PBS’s YouTube channel (organized in a curated specials playlist) and on pbs.org/show/pioneer-ptv-specials/.
About Pioneer PBS Specials
These programs are made possible by contributions from the voters of Minnesota through a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing stories from rural Minnesota with the world. Pioneer PBS is headquartered in Granite Falls, Minnesota, with towers in Appleton, Worthington, and Fergus Falls. Pioneer PBS reaches more than a million people in rural areas and small towns in western Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas, and northern Iowa. Pioneer PBS is honored to be your television station—the only station in western Minnesota telling your stories and raising your voices into the media landscape. Our members help make programs like this possible with their generous support. For more information about Pioneer PBS or how you can help us make these stories a reality, visit pioneer.org/donate or call 800-726-3178.
