Faculty and Staff

Amy Bonifas, MD, (she/her) is faculty and program director for the University of Minnesota Methodist Hospital Family Medicine Residency. In addition to teaching, she practices full-spectrum family medicine and has special interests in obstetrics, community health, and adolescent medicine. Dr. Bonifas is medical director for Central Clinic, the free clinic for children and adolescents in St. Louis Park, which is staffed by Methodist family medicine third-year residents.

Yolanda Candler, MPH, is a Community Engagement Coordinator focused, in collaboration with the Vice Chair for Community Engagement and Advocacy, on prioritizing long-term, community-centered relationship building and engaging with communities to facilitate connections for clinics in a cross-clinic health justice model with the purpose of facilitating authentic power-sharing relationships with patients, their families, and wider communities. 

Dr. Kriti Choudhary is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. As a Primary Care Physician, she is passionate about caring for her diverse patient population. She is an advocate for eliminating healthcare disparities and biases with the goal to promote the health of underserved and marginalized patient populations and is committed to providing comprehensive care to gender nondiverse patients. Dr. Choudhary has a special interest in developing a community health curriculum at the University of Minnesota Medical Center Residency Program. 

Roli Dwivedi, MD, is a University of Minnesota associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, chief clinical officer and interim CEO at the Community University Health Care Center, and vice chair for community engagement and advocacy. She also chairs the Department of Family Medicine Community Health Committee. She received her medical training at Vaishampayan Memorial Medical School in India and completed residency in family medicine at the University of Minnesota. She was also honored to serve as chief resident in family medicine at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Dwivedi is involved with several leadership and quality committees all across Minnesota and serves as director at large within the executive committee of Minnesota AFP. She is an educator and likes to create new models of teaching and culturally competent care deliveries. Her special interest in education includes global health and culturally sensitive care. She is also invested in improving health disparities and mentoring medical students and residents.

Katie Freeman, MD, (she/her) practices full-spectrum family medicine including obstetrics at M Health Fairview Clinic - Bethesda and Woodwinds Family Medicine Residency in St. Paul. Her clinical passions include providing prenatal and obstetrical care, geriatrics and end-of-life care, and treating overlapping chronic disease and mental health in refugees and immigrants. Her research and professional interests focus on local population health interventions, including building community partnerships, improving patient education, and developing physician advocates. She leads the Woodwinds CHAMP (Community Health and Management of Practice) rotation, the Bethesda-SMRLS healthcare legal partnership, and co-leads the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Resident Advocacy Cohort (RAC).

Lee Haggenjos, MD, provides full spectrum family medicine care with obstetrics.  He has worked in Willmar, MN, since 2020 at Lakeland Clinic and Rice Memorial Hospital. He aims to improve the health of historically underserved communities and to meet patients where they are to move toward their health goals. He has particular interests in immigrant health, community health, LGBTQ+ care, addiction medicine, POCUS, emergency and hospital medicine, obstetrics and prenatal care, and medical education.

Karen Jankowski, MD, is a family physician with the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. In her work at Community University Health Care Center, Dr. Jankowski engaged in the transformation to interprofessional team-based care and has promoted this care model on a national level as a key element to reduce barriers for patients from diverse and marginalized backgrounds. She also enjoys teaching medical students and an elective in global-local medicine for residents. 

Dr. Lelonek is core faculty in the Duluth Family Medicine Residency Program. She is excited to bring her varied experiences as a physician, coach, and public health leader to residency education. Medical interests include providing trauma-informed care, street medicine, and care for those who have lost their homes. She also has a background in mindfulness-based approaches to care and physician wellness. She loves to incorporate poetry, art, and nature into medicine, both for patients and colleagues.

Dr. Lin is a clinic-only faculty member with the University of Minnesota North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program. He has a passion for addressing health disparities at a community level, through partnership with community-based organizations and exploring modalities of providing health education outside of the clinic visit.

In the role of Vice Chair for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and as the Josie Robinson Johnson Endowed Chair, Dr. Eduardo Medina is excited to continue to contribute to the education, clinical practice and stewardship of family medicine in Minnesota. As a member of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, he prioritizes centering the well-being of all Minnesota communities through the principles and practice of family medicine. Dr. Medina believes the challenge—and opportunity—lies in orienting care systems to best meet the needs of the communities they serve. His research, teaching, and initiatives place health equity at the core, viewing it as an essential instrument to strengthen medical practice and deepen our shared commitment to humanity. Dr. Medina completed his MPH at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and his MD and family medicine residency at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He holds an undergraduate degree in Latin American Studies with a concentration in sociology from Wesleyan University. He is a proud alumnus of Deerfield Academy, Prep for Prep 9 and the New York City public school system.

Heidi Cerdas Monge, M.Ed, MBA, (she/her) is an education program specialist at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. In addition to coordinating the Community Health Course, she serves as administrative support for the Community Health Committee. She earned her MBA from Lakeland College and completed her Master of Education degree from the University of Minnesota in 2022.

Shannon Neale, MD, is faculty at the University of Minnesota Methodist Hospital Family Medicine Residency. Her medical interests include OB, maternal and child health, and practice management. She is also the chair of the Family Medicine department at Park Nicollet.

Lonzale Ramsey, Jr., MD

Dr. Ramsey is an assistant professor with the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health working with North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program. He is vice chair for the board of the Ladder for America. His particular interests include health literacy, full-spectrum family medicine, and preventative health.