CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Clinic is blasting a new ad campaign as “riddled with inaccuracies and lies.”
This week, nonprofit Consumers’ Research launched a six-figure publicity blitz featuring a commercial, website and set of billboards suggesting the hospital system is prioritizing a political agenda over patient care.
“Is Cleveland Clinic the ‘wokest’ hospital in America?” a 30-second TV ad begins.
The “Cleveland Clinic Exposed” campaign claims the Clinic promotes left-leaning ideologies like gender-affirming care for children, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and environmental activism.
“My position here is not to shut down the Clinic. It’s to get them back to focusing on providing high-quality medical care and abandoning all of these side projects that they have caving to woke activists and woke politicians,” said Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild.
Cleveland Clinic issued the following statement in response to the allegations:
“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.”
A warning on the Consumers’ Research website is among dozens of “woke alerts” sounding an alarm on companies like Kroger, Costco, General Motors and more.
Hild said the organization would likely expand the “Cleveland Clinic Exposed” campaign beyond its initial commercial, billboards and website.
