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Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit American academic medical center and integrated hospital system known for complex care, medical research, education, and an expanding international healthcare network.

Last updated October 14, 2026

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Overview

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit academic medical center and integrated hospital system headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. It combines patient care with physician education and biomedical research, operating through a network of hospitals, outpatient facilities, specialty institutes, laboratories, and international locations. The organization is especially associated with highly complex and specialized care, including cardiology and cardiac surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, cancer treatment, digestive disease, transplantation, orthopedics, and vascular medicine. The institution was established in 1921 by four physicians—George W. Crile, Frank E. Bunts, William E. Lower, and John Phillips—who sought to create a coordinated medical organization in which physicians from different specialties worked together. That model helped distinguish Cleveland Clinic from more conventional physician practices and became central to its later identity as a multidisciplinary system. The organization developed around the principle that clinical practice, research, and education should reinforce one another. Its main campus is located in Cleveland, where the system maintains major clinical, research, and educational facilities, including the Lerner Research Institute and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. The brand also extends across northern and central Ohio through hospitals and outpatient sites, including facilities added or strengthened through affiliations, acquisitions, and mergers. Expansion has allowed Cleveland Clinic to bring its clinical protocols, specialty expertise, technology, and referral infrastructure to additional communities while also increasing its regional scale. Cleveland Clinic has built a national reputation through tertiary and quaternary care, outcomes-focused clinical programs, second opinions, telemedicine, and health information publishing. Its public-facing Health Essentials and health-library content form part of a broader effort to provide medical education and support patient decision-making. Marketing has emphasized clinical expertise, authentic patient and caregiver experiences, distinctive specialty programs, and the idea of a consistent care experience across locations. The system expanded beyond Ohio through Cleveland Clinic Florida and international operations, including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. It has also participated in technology commercialization and research partnerships, including ventures based on discoveries from its laboratories. Unlike an investor-owned hospital chain, Cleveland Clinic is organized as a nonprofit institution and is not publicly traded. Its scale and visibility have made it a prominent healthcare brand, but it has also become a target of political criticism, most notably a 2025 advertising campaign by Consumers’ Research concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender-affirming care, and environmental policies. Cleveland Clinic rejected the campaign’s allegations and described them as inaccurate. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation is an American nonprofit academic medical-center organization headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. It owns and operates Cleveland Clinic, a large integrated health system combining tertiary and quaternary hospital care, community hospitals, outpatient and family-health facilities, physician practices, medical research, professional education, and international healthcare operations. Although the legal entity is the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the public-facing organization is generally known as Cleveland Clinic. The institution was incorporated in 1921 by four physicians—George W. Crile, Frank E. Bunts, William E. Lower, and John Phillips—who had served together in the Lakeside Unit during the First World War. They designed the organization around a cooperative group-practice model in which specialists worked collectively rather than as isolated private practitioners. Its founding purpose linked three activities: caring for patients, investigating medical problems, and educating healthcare professionals. A portion of institutional revenue was reserved for research and other activities that did not directly generate clinical income. Cleveland Clinic initially operated outpatient facilities and added a 184-bed hospital in 1924. Its early history was marked by a devastating accident on May 15, 1929, when nitrate-based X-ray film ignited in the original building. The resulting fumes killed 123 people, including co-founder John Phillips. The institution survived both the disaster and the economic pressures of the Great Depression through community support and the strength of George Crile’s surgical practice. It later expanded substantially after the Second World War. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the Foundation developed from a prominent Cleveland medical group into a geographically distributed health system. Under Floyd D. Loop, chairman and chief executive from 1989 to 2004, the organization substantially expanded its physical facilities and patient capacity. Major projects supported by late-1990s capital fundraising included the Lerner Research Institute, Cole Eye Institute, and Taussig Cancer Center. Cleveland Clinic Florida opened in 1988, establishing a significant presence outside Ohio, while later growth added hospitals, outpatient centers, and affiliated organizations in other regions. The Foundation’s scope now includes the main campus in Cleveland, regional hospitals and family-health centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Children’s, specialized institutes, research programs, graduate medical education, and partnerships with universities including Case Western Reserve University. Its international activities have included Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and other cross-border clinical and educational operations. The system is especially associated with cardiovascular medicine and surgery, but it also provides care across a broad range of adult and pediatric specialties. Cleveland Clinic is structured as a nonprofit rather than a publicly traded company. The Foundation’s healthcare model emphasizes multidisciplinary teams, specialized institutes, clinical standardization, research translation, and education. Its brand reputation is strongly tied to complex-care expertise, particularly heart and vascular services, cancer, neurology, digestive disease, transplantation, and surgical care. Tomislav Mihaljevic is identified in the supplied reference material as president and chief executive officer. The organization continues to operate as an active academic health system under the Cleveland Clinic name. Cleveland Clinic has built a national reputation through tertiary and quaternary care, outcomes-focused clinical programs, second opinions, telemedicine, and health information publishing. Its public-facing Health Essentials and health-library content form part of its patient-acquisition and engagement strategy.

History

Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by surgeons George W. Crile, Frank E. Bunts, William E. Lower, and John Phillips. The founders aimed to organize medical care around collaboration among specialties rather than around isolated individual practices. Their model placed patient care, medical education, and research within a common institution, creating the basis for the multidisciplinary structure that remains central to the brand. The organization developed in Cleveland as a referral center for patients requiring advanced surgical and medical treatment. Its early identity was shaped by the founders’ surgical work and by the belief that systematic investigation could improve clinical practice. Over time, Cleveland Clinic broadened beyond its original surgical emphasis, establishing major programs in cardiovascular medicine, cancer, neurology, digestive disease, transplantation, orthopedics, and other fields. Research became institutionalized through the Lerner Research Institute, while medical education became part of the system’s long-term mission through graduate training and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. During the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Cleveland Clinic increasingly operated as a regional health system rather than solely as a single hospital campus. It added hospitals, outpatient centers, physician practices, and affiliate relationships throughout Ohio. The organization’s growth strategy combined clinical integration with geographic expansion: local hospitals could gain access to specialty expertise, technology, capital planning, and recruitment, while Cleveland Clinic gained a larger referral and service network. Akron General joined the system in 2015, and Union Hospital later became part of the organization’s southern Ohio expansion. The brand also expanded outside Ohio. Cleveland Clinic Florida developed into a multi-hospital regional platform, and the system entered the international market through Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. These operations extended the institution’s model of specialty care and academic medicine beyond its original American base. Cleveland Clinic has also supported commercialization of research discoveries and the creation of companies based on laboratory technology, demonstrating that its activities extend beyond direct hospital operations. Marketing and communications have been important to the system’s national positioning. Campaigns such as “Unadorned Facts” used simple line illustrations and concise claims to differentiate Cleveland Clinic from conventional hospital advertising. The later “For Every Care In The World” campaign used real patients and caregivers to emphasize empathy, authenticity, and the breadth of services. The organization has supplemented advertising with search-oriented health articles, social media, podcasts, earned media, online health information, and disease-specific campaigns designed to reach patients who may travel for specialty treatment. Cleveland Clinic’s prominence has also generated public controversy. In February 2025, Consumers’ Research launched the “Cleveland Clinic Exposed” campaign, criticizing the system’s DEI programs, gender-affirming-care policies, and climate-related work. Cleveland Clinic publicly rejected the claims, stating that the campaign was inaccurate and that its care is delivered according to ethical and legal standards. The dispute illustrates the reputational pressures facing large healthcare institutions whose clinical, employment, public-health, and environmental policies attract political attention. Cleveland Clinic remains an active nonprofit academic health system with a principal base in Cleveland, a broad United States network, and international operations. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation was incorporated in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1921 by George W. Crile, Frank E. Bunts, William E. Lower, and John Phillips. The founders had worked together in the Lakeside Unit during the First World War and adapted its cooperative, specialist-oriented organization to civilian medicine. Their concept was a group practice in which physicians shared expertise, coordinated treatment, and supported a common program of patient care, research, and education. The original institution began with outpatient facilities on Euclid Avenue. In 1924 it added a 184-bed hospital, allowing the organization to combine ambulatory medicine with inpatient and surgical care. One of the defining tragedies in its history occurred on May 15, 1929. Nitrate-based X-ray film caught fire in the original building, producing poisonous fumes that killed 123 people, including co-founder John Phillips. The disaster severely damaged the young institution, which was also affected by the stock-market crash and the ensuing economic depression. Cleveland community support and the continuing surgical practice of George Crile helped the organization remain open. Following the Second World War, the Foundation entered a long period of growth. It developed a broader range of specialties and increasingly organized clinical work around institutional departments and multidisciplinary services. The organization’s physician-group model became a central part of its identity, while its nonprofit structure enabled it to devote resources to research, professional training, and facilities that were not solely dependent on immediate clinical returns. The modern expansion phase accelerated under Floyd D. Loop, who served as chairman and chief executive from 1989 to 2004. During his tenure, the Clinic nearly doubled its physical plant and patient visits according to the supplied historical reference. A major capital campaign in the late 1990s financed several landmark facilities: the Lerner Research Institute opened in 1998, the Cole Eye Institute in 1999, and the Taussig Cancer Center in 2000. A surgery center and a level III neonatal intensive-care unit were also developed during this period. Geographic expansion became another major strategic direction. Cleveland Clinic Florida opened in Fort Lauderdale in 1988 and provided the Foundation with a substantial regional presence outside Ohio. The wider system subsequently added community hospitals, family health centers, affiliated hospitals, and international operations. The Foundation’s system model came to include an academic medical center, community-based care, ancillary services, and a large physician and physician-researcher organization. The organization’s academic role has been supported through relationships with Case Western Reserve University and other educational institutions. Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, operated in partnership with Case Western Reserve University, reinforced the Foundation’s commitment to physician education and research. Cleveland Clinic Children’s provides pediatric services, while specialized institutes address cardiovascular disease, cancer, eye care, neurological conditions, digestive disease, and other complex fields. In the twenty-first century, Cleveland Clinic has maintained a high-profile national and international reputation, particularly in cardiology and heart and vascular surgery. It has also extended its model through Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and other international activities. The Foundation remains an Ohio nonprofit corporation and the parent organization of the Cleveland Clinic Health System. Its public brand is usually shortened to Cleveland Clinic, while the legal Foundation continues to own and operate the integrated system. The organization remains active, combining hospital care, outpatient services, specialty medicine, research, education, and community health operations. Geographic expansion became another major strategic direction. Cleveland Clinic Florida opened in Fort Lauderdale in 1988 and provided the Foundation with a substantial regional presence outside Ohio, later developing into a multi-hospital regional platform. The wider system subsequently added community hospitals, family health centers, affiliated hospitals, and international operations, including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. These operations extended the institution’s model of specialty care and academic medicine beyond its original American base. Cleveland Clinic has also supported commercialization of research discoveries and the creation of companies based on laboratory technology, demonstrating that its activities extend beyond direct hospital operations.

  • 2025

    Cleveland Clinic Exposed campaign draws a public response

    [2]

    Consumers’ Research launches a political advertising campaign against Cleveland Clinic, which responds by disputing its allegations.

  • 2021

    Florida hospital acquisitions close

    [6]

    Martin Health and Indian River Medical Center become part of Cleveland Clinic, expanding its southeast Florida footprint.

  • 2020

    Agreement to acquire Mercy Medical Center

    [13]

    Cleveland Clinic signs an agreement to acquire Mercy Medical Center from the Sisters of Charity Health System.

  • 2017

    Union Hospital expansion is announced

    [12]

    Cleveland Clinic and Union Hospital announce plans for Union to become part of the Cleveland Clinic system, expanding the network in southern Ohio.

  • 2017

    Tomislav Mihaljevic became chief executive

    [1]

    Tomislav Mihaljevic succeeded Delos Cosgrove as president and chief executive officer.

  • 2015

    Akron General joins Cleveland Clinic

    [11]

    The Akron General system becomes part of Cleveland Clinic, strengthening the organization’s presence in northeast Ohio.

  • 2015

    Lakewood family-health expansion advanced

    [9]

    The Foundation purchased a suburban medical office building in connection with the Lakewood Hospital redevelopment agreement.

  • 2004

    Delos Cosgrove became chief executive

    [7]

    Delos M. Cosgrove was appointed president and chief executive officer of Cleveland Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic Health System.

  • 2000

    Taussig Cancer Center opened

    [7]

    The Taussig Cancer Center opened as part of the Foundation’s investment in specialized cancer services.

  • 1999

    Cole Eye Institute opened

    [7]

    The Cole Eye Institute opened as a specialized center within the expanding Cleveland Clinic campus.

Products and positioning

A nonprofit, physician-led academic health system positioned around multidisciplinary expertise, complex-care outcomes, research, education, and integrated care across regional and international locations.

  • Healthcare services · 1921

    Specialty medical and surgical care

    Cleveland Clinic provides advanced inpatient and outpatient treatment across numerous specialties, with particular emphasis on complex cases requiring multidisciplinary assessment, specialist referral, surgery, intensive care, or coordinated long-term management.

  • Specialty care

    Cardiovascular care

    Cardiology, cardiac surgery, vascular medicine, and related diagnostic and interventional services are among Cleveland Clinic’s most prominent clinical offerings. Care spans prevention, imaging, medical treatment, catheter-based procedures, surgery, rehabilitation, and second opinions.

  • Specialty care · 2000

    Cancer care

    The health system provides cancer screening, diagnosis, surgery, radiation, systemic therapies, blood and marrow services, clinical trials, and supportive care through an integrated oncology program. Through the Taussig Cancer Institute and related programs, Cleveland Clinic provides multidisciplinary cancer diagnosis, treatment, surgery, infusion services, radiation-related care, clinical research, and supportive services. The institute reflects the Foundation’s strategy of building dedicated centers around major disease areas.

  • Digital healthcare

    Health information and virtual care

    Cleveland Clinic offers online health information, patient education, virtual visits, and second-opinion services. Its digital publishing helps explain diseases, treatments, prevention, and recovery while supporting the system’s national patient-acquisition and engagement strategy.

  • Hospital care · 1924

    Hospital and acute-care services

    Cleveland Clinic operates an academic medical center and community hospitals providing inpatient, emergency, surgical, intensive-care, and complex-care services. Care is organized through specialty institutes and multidisciplinary clinical teams, with the main campus serving as a referral center for serious and difficult-to-treat conditions.

  • Specialty medicine

    Heart, vascular, and cardiac surgery services

    Cardiology, heart surgery, and vascular medicine are among the Cleveland Clinic brand’s most prominent clinical offerings. The service line encompasses diagnosis, interventional procedures, surgery, rehabilitation, prevention, and research, and is central to the organization’s national and international reputation.

  • Ophthalmology · 1999

    Eye care

    The Cole Eye Institute provides ophthalmic evaluation, medical and surgical treatment, specialty eye services, and research. It is one of the major named institutes created during Cleveland Clinic’s late-1990s campus expansion.

  • Academic healthcare · 1921

    Medical research and education

    Research and education are part of the Foundation’s original mission. The organization supports laboratory and clinical research, physician training, graduate medical education, and medical-school education through relationships including the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and Case Western Reserve University.

  • Children's healthcare

    Pediatric healthcare

    Cleveland Clinic Children’s provides pediatric medical and surgical services within the broader Cleveland Clinic system. Its scope includes specialty care, congenital and pediatric heart services, inpatient and outpatient treatment, and access to the system’s research and tertiary-care infrastructure.

Controversies

  • 2025

    Consumers’ Research allegations and advertising campaign

    A conservative nonprofit’s campaign alleged that Cleveland Clinic’s social and environmental policies displaced its patient-care mission and made claims about race-based care and gender-affirming treatment. Cleveland Clinic denied the allegations, said it does not provide gender-affirming surgeries to patients under 18, and described the advertising as containing inaccuracies and lies.

  • 1929

    Cleveland Clinic disaster

    A nitrate-based X-ray film fire in the original Cleveland Clinic building released poisonous fumes and killed 123 people, including co-founder John Phillips. The disaster became a defining event in the institution’s early history.

Read more

Marketing campaigns

  • 2025Cleveland Clinic Exposed

    United States

    Consumers’ Research used television advertising, a campaign website, and mobile billboards to accuse Cleveland Clinic of prioritizing political positions over patient care, focusing on DEI, gender-affirming care, and environmental activism. Cleveland Clinic publicly rejected the allegations and characterized the campaign as inaccurate.

    Outcome. Cleveland Clinic publicly rejected the allegations and characterized the campaign as inaccurate.

  • 2020For Every Care In The World

    United States

    This campaign featured real patients and caregivers to present Cleveland Clinic’s care as authentic, compassionate, and broad in scope. A related prostate-cancer effort highlighted treatment options and second opinions. The campaigns received Healthcare Advertising Awards recognition, including gold and silver awards, and were reported to improve message recall and awareness.

    Outcome. The campaigns received Healthcare Advertising Awards recognition, including gold and silver awards, and were reported to improve message recall and awareness.

  • 2011Unadorned Facts

    United States

    A national and local brand-building campaign used bright colors, simple line drawings, and concise statements to communicate distinctive facts about Cleveland Clinic’s care and differentiate it from conventional hospital advertising. The campaign continued in local markets and was described as a distinctive platform for emphasizing clinical strengths.

    Outcome. The campaign continued in local markets and was described as a distinctive platform for emphasizing clinical strengths.

Brand decisions

  • 2025

    Respond to political advertising allegationsOther

    Background

    Consumers’ Research launched a public campaign accusing Cleveland Clinic of placing political priorities ahead of patient care.

    Action taken

    Cleveland Clinic issued a public rebuttal, denied discriminatory care practices, and disputed claims concerning services for minors.

    Aftermath

    The dispute became a public reputational controversy involving healthcare policy, DEI, gender-affirming care, and climate activism.

  • 2021

    Expand through Florida hospital acquisitionsM&A

    Background

    Cleveland Clinic sought greater scale and continuity of care in southeast Florida through agreements with Martin Health and Indian River Medical Center.

    Action taken

    The two systems formally joined Cleveland Clinic after regulatory review and integration planning.

    Aftermath

    The transactions broadened Cleveland Clinic Florida’s hospital, physician, and outpatient footprint.

  • 2015

    Integrate Akron General into the systemM&A

    Background

    Akron General was already an affiliate, but full integration offered broader organizational resources while giving Cleveland Clinic a larger presence in the Akron market.

    Action taken

    Cleveland Clinic absorbed Akron General into its hospital network.

    Aftermath

    The transaction expanded access to capital, technology, services, and physician recruitment for the Akron organization.

  • 2015

    Develop a Lakewood family health centerStrategy

    Background

    The City of Lakewood and Cleveland Clinic reached an agreement concerning the cessation of Lakewood Hospital operations and development of replacement community services.

    Action taken

    The Foundation purchased a suburban medical office building and pursued a new family health center.

    Aftermath

    The transaction formed part of a broader transition from hospital operations toward a new outpatient and family-health facility in Lakewood.

  • 1998

    Invest in specialized institutes and research infrastructureStrategy

    Background

    A late-1990s capital campaign supported expansion of the organization’s clinical and research capacity.

    Action taken

    The Foundation developed the Lerner Research Institute, Cole Eye Institute, and Taussig Cancer Center.

    Aftermath

    The projects strengthened Cleveland Clinic’s institute-based model and its profile in specialty medicine and translational research.

  • 1988

    Expand beyond Northeast Ohio through Cleveland Clinic FloridaStrategy

    Background

    The Foundation sought geographic diversification and a larger regional healthcare presence.

    Action taken

    It opened Cleveland Clinic Florida in Fort Lauderdale.

    Aftermath

    The Florida operation became an important component of the Foundation’s multi-region health-system model.

Recent events

  • Cleveland Clinic launches prescription drone delivery with Zipline[15]

    Reported:

    Cleveland Clinic announced the launch of a prescription drone delivery program with Zipline, with the first successful deliveries taking place in and around Beachwood, Ohio. Cleveland Clinic describes it as the first long-term deployment of a prescription drug drone delivery program by a U.S. health system, initially serving eligible patients within five miles of its Beachwood Administrative Campus who already use its pharmacy home delivery program.

  • MetricStream announces 2020 GRC Journey Award winners[16]

    Reported:

    MetricStream announced the winners of its 2020 GRC Journey Awards at its ninth annual GRC Summit. The listed organizational winners included Cleveland Clinic, dnata, Danske Bank, Apple Bank, Student Loans Company, Golub Capital, Department for Work and Pensions, and Globe Life.

  • Unconfirmed

    Bendix partners with Fleece & Thank You on blanket project[17]

    Reported:

    Earlier in 2021, Bendix partnered with Fleece & Thank You on a project to make and deliver handmade fleece blankets to hospitalized children. Bendix employees made 184 blankets during a virtual event in February, and the blankets were delivered to the Cleveland Clinic in March.

  • Clorox launches the Safer Today Alliance[18]

    Reported:

    Clorox announced the Safer Today Alliance, a program developed with Cleveland Clinic and the CDC Foundation to provide guidance on increased safety measures in shared spaces.

    Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.

  • YouTube forms healthcare content partnerships[19]

    Reported:

    YouTube announced partnerships with healthcare providers and groups, including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, the American Public Health Association and the National Academy of Medicine, to create health-focused content.

  • Cleveland Clinic appoints Conor Delaney to lead Florida region[20]

    Reported:

    Cleveland Clinic announced that Conor Delaney would become President and CEO of its Florida region, effective October 15, 2020.

  • United collaborates with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic on CleanPlus[21]

    Reported:

    United Airlines brought Clorox and Cleveland Clinic into United CleanPlus: Clorox products are to be used at United hub airports, and Cleveland Clinic medical experts are to advise on protocols and related programs.

Sources21 sources

  1. 1Cleveland Clinicen.wikipedia.org
  2. 2Cleveland Clinic disputes campaign calling it 'wokest hospital in America'news5cleveland.com
  3. 3Conservative group launches ad campaign criticizing Cleveland Clinic’s DEI initiativescleveland.com
  4. 4Cleveland Clinic’s award-winning ad campaigns center on authenticity and compassionbeckershospitalreview.com
  5. 5Cleveland Clinic ‘Unadorned Facts’ ad campaignmedcitynews.com
  6. 6Cleveland Clinic expands through Martin Health and Indian River Medical Centerhealthcarefinancenews.com
  7. 7Cleveland Clinic Foundationcase.edu
  8. 8History and Background of The Cleveland Clinic Foundationclevelandclinic.org
  9. 9Cleveland Clinic Foundation purchases medical office building in suburban Cleveland, Ohiojonesday.com
  10. 10Cleveland Clinic Health System 2025 Consolidated Financial Statementsmy.clevelandclinic.org
  11. 11Akron General joins Cleveland Cliniccleveland.com
  12. 12Union Hospital expansion is announcedhealthcaredive.com
  13. 13Agreement to acquire Mercy Medical Centerfiercehealthcare.com
  14. 14Cleveland Clinic Florida openedccf.org
  15. 15克利夫兰诊所与Zipline合作推出处方药无人机配送服务foxnews.com
  16. 16MetricStream公布2020年GRC Journey奖获奖者prnewswire.com
  17. 17Bendix 与 Fleece & Thank You 合作开展毛毯项目patch.com
  18. 18Clorox推出Safer Today Allianceprnewswire.com
  19. 19YouTube 与医疗机构及团体建立合作关系medcitynews.com
  20. 20克利夫兰诊所任命Conor Delaney领导佛罗里达地区prnewswire.com
  21. 21United与Clorox及Cleveland Clinic合作推进CleanPlusprnewswire.com

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