Cleveland Clinic Again Ranked One of Worst Hospitals in America for Community Spending

While the Cleveland Clinic remains a pillar of advancements in healthcare and a perennial award-winner for one of the best hospitals in the world, another ranking has once again found it to be one of the worst hospitals in the country in terms of giving back to its hometown.

The Lown Institute, a healthcare think tank based on Boston, every year analyzes hospitals in terms of their community spending and charity compared to the tax breaks they get.

The Clinic has held the ignominious distinction at being at or near the top of the list in recent years.

2025’s list is no different, with the Clinic holding a “fair share” deficti of $207 million, the Lown Institute found, as the nonprofit hospital benefited from $61 in property tax exemptions, among other financial breaks.

“Nonprofit status isn’t a giveaway, it’s earned by giving back,” Lown Institute Dr. Vikas Saini of the Lown Institute said in a statement included with the report. “Hospitals can be pillars of their communities by providing essential services and financial assistance beyond what’s expected. But not every institution steps up, and too often, those in the best financial position to give back are the least likely to follow through.”

Cleveland, of course, is one of if not the poorest big city in America, and Fairfax, the neighborhood the Clinic calls home, is one of the most impoverished in the city.

While the hospital system enjoyed tens of millions in tax exemptions, the Institute found, it again failed to deliver an equitable share of community spending, which can include affordable healthcare, local services to address inequities in housing and access to food, and community programming.

University Hospitals also found itself on the list, with a $48 million “fair share” deficit, coming in sixth among Ohio hospitals.

As in years past, the Clinic has disputed the rankings, telling Cleveland.com that it believes the report is inaccurate “because it excluded research, education and instances in which the hospital pays the difference between what Medicaid pays and the actual cost of care. All of these categories directly impact community health.” It also noted some $1.46 billion in community benefits it claims to have delivered in Ohio, Florida and Nevada, according to its own annual report.

Nationally, there was a “fair share” deficit of $11.5 billion among 1,800 nonprofit hospitals in 20 states.

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