Press Release

Cleveland Clinic Scrubs Racially Discriminatory Program From Website After Do No Harm Complaint

  • By Do No Harm Staff
  • August 29, 2024
  • Cleveland Clinic

RICHMOND, VA; August 27, 2024 – After being hit with a federal civil rights complaint from Do No Harm and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), the Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic appears to have scrubbed all mention of a racially discriminatory program from its website.

Do No Harm and WILL filed the complaint against the Cleveland Clinic over two programs – the Minority Stroke Program and the Minority Men’s Health Center – that illegally discriminated against patients based on their race.

The complaint noted that these programs implement “racial preferences” and establish “criteria or methods of administration which subject individuals to discrimination” in violation of federal civil rights law.

Now, the Minority Men’s Health Center’s page no longer appears on the Cleveland Clinic’s website; an archived version of the website shows how the page previously appeared.

“This takedown is an initial win, but Do No Harm would like to receive confirmation that patients of all races and ethnicities are now welcomed for treatment at the two Cleveland Clinic programs we highlighted in our complaint,” said Dr. Jared Ross, Senior Fellow at Do No Harm. “Do No Harm will continue working to eliminate racial bias and political ideology from all aspects of medicine.”

“While racial identity politics are often problematic wherever they occur, in healthcare, the problem can engender serious stakes, including life and death matters,” said WILL Associate Counsel Cara Tolliver. “When it comes to healthcare, providers, like Cleveland Clinic, should be simply extending care efforts to all patients who need it, regardless of their race and in accordance with law – not relying on racial stereotypes as a proxy for legitimate health risks.”

Do No Harm applauds this change. Medical institutions should not implement racial preferences when adjudicating who receives medical care, nor should they segregate care based on recipients’ race. 

Read the original complaint here.