June 23, 2025
This Fourth of July, Minnesota physicians are urging their fellow Minnesotans to leave the fireworks up to the professionals.
“Every summer we hear too many sad stories about people getting hurt by fireworks,” said MMA President Edwin Bogonko, MD, MBA. “This year, please stay away from firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, sparklers and all of those dangerous items. It’s better to be safe, than sorry.”
According to the latest statistics (2023) from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), hands and fingers were the most often injured body parts (35%), followed by heads, face and ears (22%), eyes (19%), trunk (11%), and legs (8%). In 2023, there were 9,700 people treated in ERs and eight deaths.
According to the CPSC, teenagers ages 15 to 19 years old had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries, with children ages 5 to 9 years old had the second highest rate.
There were an estimated 800 emergency department-treated injuries associated with firecrackers and 700 with sparklers.
“Fireworks are an annual tradition,” Bogonko said. “But it's a dangerous one, if not done correctly. Fireworks can result in severe burns, blindness, scars, and even death. Please leave them to the professionals who can take all the necessary safety precautions.”
October 8, 2025
Two physicians, four physicians-in-training, the late Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy were all honored with MMA awards as part of this year’s Empowering Physicians event on September 26. Each year, the MMA honors those in medicine for going above and beyond.
September 30, 2025
Lisa Mattson, MD, of Plymouth, was installed as the Minnesota Medical Association’s (MMA) 159th president on September 26, during the association’s Empowering Physicians event in Minneapolis.
September 8, 2025
The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) and four other physician advocacy organizations sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz on September 5 urging him to call a special legislative session to “pass legislation to address the devastating death and injuries from firearms and gun violence.