A watchdog group is launching a new campaign targeting two of the nation’s largest nonprofit hospital systems, arguing they have strayed from patient care and should risk losing their tax-exempt status as a result.
Consumers’ Research is set to roll out its “Woke Hospitals” initiative on Monday, ahead of a Tuesday hearing by the House Ways and Means Committee focused on rising health care costs. The campaign singles out New York-Presbyterian and CommonSpirit Health, accusing both of prioritizing political and social initiatives over core medical services.
The campaign includes a mobile billboard expected to circulate near Capitol Hill and a dedicated website detailing the group’s allegations — what the group describes as “ideological overreach” by nonprofit hospitals benefiting from federal tax advantages.
Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, said the effort is intended to draw attention to what he describes as a misalignment between public subsidies and hospital priorities. “It is appalling to see hospitals indulge in woke politics while their patients struggle with long waits, surprise bills, and a continuous lack of price transparency,” Hild said in an exclusive statement to The Daily Wire. “Nonprofit status is not an automatic right; it is a public subsidy granted in exchange for a public benefit.”
According to the campaign materials, Consumers’ Research is highlighting programs at New York-Presbyterian that it says reflect an institutional focus on “health equity” and social justice. Among them is the hospital’s Dalio Center for Health Justice, which promotes initiatives aimed at addressing disparities tied to race, socioeconomic status, and access to care. The hospital has described these programs as a core part of its mission, with leadership emphasizing that addressing long-standing inequities is essential to improving patient outcomes.
Billboard content provided by Consumers’ Research
Consumers’ Research points to the hospital’s own language as evidence of a broader shift in priorities. “Our goal is to contribute to equal healthcare and equal education because we believe that these are the most fundamental building blocks of equal opportunity and just society,” said Ray Dalio, founder of Dalio philanthropies and a hospital trustee.
Hospital CEO Dr. Stephen J. Corwin similarly emphasized the institution’s focus on broader social goals, stating, “We are living in a profound time where social, economic and health crises are converging at once. … New York Presbyterian hopes to be a leader in health justice.”
The group also points to New York-Presbyterian’s Compass Program, which provides support services for trans-identifying youth, including counseling, family assistance, and medical referrals. Hospital leadership has publicly affirmed its commitment to “gender-affirming care,” describing it as an important part of serving the patient population.
At CommonSpirit Health, Consumers’ Research is focusing on the system’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, which coordinates a multi-pronged strategy aimed at reducing disparities in health care access and outcomes. The hospital network has described its work as an effort to improve care delivery through better data collection, community partnerships, and workforce diversification.
The campaign also highlights CommonSpirit’s participation in initiatives such as the Race to Zero climate effort, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as partnerships designed to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups in the medical field.
The timing of the campaign is designed to intersect with congressional scrutiny of nonprofit health care systems. Lawmakers in both parties have increasingly questioned pricing transparency, executive compensation, and whether nonprofit hospitals are providing sufficient community benefit to justify their tax status.
Consumers’ Research says it hopes the campaign will push Congress to more aggressively scrutinize whether hospitals that engage in political or ideological initiatives should continue receiving favorable tax treatment. The group has also indicated that this is only the first in a series of efforts targeting nonprofit health care providers. Hild said the group plans to continue highlighting what it sees as misuse of taxpayer-supported resources. “As this new campaign shows, Consumers’ Research will continue exposing hospitals and hold them accountable,” he said.
“Consumers are right to be fed up,” Hild added. “They’re dealing with long wait times, high costs, and a lack of transparency—while the institutions meant to serve them are pursuing agendas that have little to do with patient care.”
The targeted hospital systems have not yet publicly responded to the campaign’s Monday launch, though both have previously defended their equity and community health initiatives as central to their missions.
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