Cleveland Clinic addresses allegations made in nonprofit's ad campaign
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Cleveland Clinic is the focus of a new ad campaign by a nonprofit organization that asks the question, 'is the Cleveland Clinic the wokest hospital in America?'
The group, Consumers' Research, claims the Clinic is focusing on social issues instead of the care of patients.
In a television commercial, the group claims that Clinic leadership, 'prioritize care based on skin color, perform child sex changes, push transgender propaganda on vulnerable kids, insert DEI into everything they do and spend millions on climate activism.'
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The executive director of Consumers' Research accuses the Clinic of 'being focused on a political agenda, not what's best for patients.'
According to Will Hild, 'Cleveland Clinic is very woke, whether it's pushing net zero policies that drive up costs for patients, whether it's treating patients differently based on the color of their skin or pushing far left transgender ideology on kids under the age of 18, including surgeries and lifelong addictions to puberty blockers.'
Consumers' Research was started in 1929 as a founding organization in the consumer protection movement.
In 2021, the nonprofit launched a campaign to combat what it calls 'wokeness' in corporate America.
'The number one goal for any of our campaigns is always to get the organization to change its behavior,' said Hild.
The nonprofit maintains it is prepared to do more than just run commercials.
For example, Consumers' Research promotes the fact that it played a central role in the boycott of Bud Light beer in 2023.
As part of the new campaign called, 'Cleveland Clinic Exposed,' Hild maintains, 'patients and consumers have the right to vote with their wallet and their voice.'
According to Hild, 'if this is something that Cleveland Clinic thinks is more important than serving their patients, we would highly recommend patients find a different place to seek treatment.'
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When asked how Consumers' Research is funded, Hild said the organization has thousands of donors from across the country, but they protect their privacy to prevent harassment from those who oppose the group.
In response to the claims by Consumers' Research, Cleveland Clinic issued the following statement:
'The recent Consumers' Research advertising campaign is riddled with inaccuracies and lies. For example, Cleveland Clinic does not provide gender-affirming surgeries for patients under the age of 18. For over 100 years, Cleveland Clinic's mission has been to care for life, research for health and educate those who serve. We do not discriminate or create preferences based on race, gender or any other characteristics, and we abide by ethical and legal standards of care with respect to our delivery of healthcare services. Cleveland Clinic is a nonpartisan organization and we neither have nor promote a political agenda.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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