At the tender age of 12, Edwin Bogonko knew that he would one day strap on his laces into the world of medicine and give his best. The frequent visits as a child from Kisii while accompanying his younger sibling who suffered from heart disease nabbed his curiosity.
Edwin Bogonko has always performed to his best capacity in any role he has served. Nonetheless, he would never have imagined that one day he would make history as the first African to serve as president of the Minnesota Medical Association (MMA)
The association was founded in 1853 as a nonprofit group that represents the interests of physicians, residents and medical students in Minnesota state.
He won the votes completely unopposed as all members of the association agreed that he was the best candidate for the job description.
Dr. Edwin Bogonko’s story begins back in Kenya where after clearing his high school education, he proceeded to a bachelor’s in Medicine at the University of Nairobi.
He graduated in 1993 and practised his trade in Kenya for six years when in 1999 he relocated to the United States. He was also a former Kenya Medical Association secretary in Kenya.
Dr. Edwin Bogonko has been a very active member since joining MMA in 2010. Currently, he serves as a physician with Allina Health in Shakopee.
At MMA, he has been in the Executive Committee, Policy Council, Nominating Committee, Awards Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee. Between October 2020 and September 2023, he was the chair of the Board of Trustees at the nonprofit.
“He has been active for so long, so it made sense that he would be our president at some point. He’s a very engaging and friendly person. You can tell that he really wants us to do well and to make the practice of medicine better,” said Dan Hauser, MMA’s Director of Communication and Education.
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It is an annual tradition at MMA that members are requested to nominate physicians they suppose should be the next president. If more than one doctor is nominated, an electronic vote is held in July.
2024 was different as everyone was confident in Dr. Bogonko’s nomination. His one-year term began on October 1st. At his inauguration speech, Dr. Bogonko assured that he would work with the organization over the next year to ensure that Minnesota remains ‘the happiest and best place to practice medicine’.
“So, you can be assured that over the next 12 months, I will give my all as the MMA works on serious issues that face medicine in this land of 10,000 lakes,” he pledged.
His regime also promised to promote physician wellness and advocate to preserve healthcare networks in rural Minnesota.
He will also work to limit the abuse of prior authorization, the practice of health insurers reserving the right to determine whether a treatment, prescription drug or medical equipment is necessary before paying for it.
“As many of you in the frontlines would agree, expanding access to mental healthcare is really crucial to easing the choke on our systems, both as physicians and even our hospitals and especially our emergency rooms.”