A major healthcare system in Ohio is quietly scrubbing pages promoting gender ideology and equity initiatives from their website, after the launch of an investigative campaign highlighting their “woke” policies.
Conservative organization Consumers’ Research launched a campaign Feb. 12 claiming Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, a major healthcare system with more than 300 locations, has infused a political agenda into their patient care. The multimedia campaign includes a website that links to materials published by Cleveland Clinic which Consumers’ Research says shows support for race-based care, gender ideology, and climate activism. The campaign included mobile billboards in Ohio, as well as a TV ad that aired during an professional basketball game and asked “Is Cleveland Clinic the wokest hospital in America?”
“Reeling from the force of our campaign, Cleveland Clinic is desperately trying to cover its tracks,” Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, told the DCNF. “If the clinic really wants to save-face, it must do more than covertly delete webpages. It must stop pumping money into these woke programs that discriminate against patients and harm children.”
Following the Consumers’ Research investigation, Cleveland Clinic quietly removed some of the highlighted web pages, including some that promoted pediatric gender medicine, which is banned under Ohio state law.
Content highlighted by Consumers’ Research includes an interview with Jacqui Robertson, Cleveland Clinic’s chief of diversity and inclusion, who stated in a podcast from Cleveland Clinic’s Education Institute that “diversity and inclusion” should be “embedded in everything that we do.” Consumer Research also highlighted a public letter from Cleveland Clinic CEO, Tom Mihaljevic, saying the healthcare system is a “signatory of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact” and their “ultimate goal is to be carbon neutral by 2027.”
Consumers’ Research also highlighted Cleveland Clinic’s commitment to gender ideology. A now-removed Cleveland Clinic webpage said puberty blockers, which can disrupt brain maturation and cause infertility, are “making life a little easier for gender-diverse kids.”
The Cleveland Clinic disputed the claims made by Consumers’ Research in a statement provided to the DCNF.
“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,” said the statement.
“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.”
Additionally, Cleveland Clinic responded to the investigation by sending Hild a cease and desist letter stating Consumer’s Research wrongly characterized Cleveland Clinic as giving care “based on skin color,” performing child sex change procedures, and spending “millions of dollars on climate activism.” The letter accused Consumers’ Research of having “the intent to damage the reputation of the Cleveland Clinic.”
Hild denied the allegations, telling DCNF the clinic had provided the public with “proof for all three of these claims.”
“Cleveland Clinic alleged that we falsely accused them of prioritizing race-based care, performing child sex changes, and spending millions of dollars on climate activism,” Hild told the DCNF.
“However, we have publicly provided proof for all three of these claims and encourage people to check out our website, ClevelandClinicExposed.com and my X page for ample evidence. So, we gladly ignore the clinic’s intimidation tactics and will continue to pressure Cleveland Clinic until its proven they’ve ceased and desisted from discriminating against patients and performing child sex changes.”
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