Consumers' Research, a consumer watchdog group, has launched a campaign targeting Rush University Medical Center, the official healthcare partner of the Chicago White Sox, accusing the nonprofit health system of diverting resources toward political activism rather than patient care. The group's "Rush Exposed" campaign includes billboards, street posters, and television ads around Guaranteed Rate Field, where the White Sox play, aiming to inform fans about the hospital's spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, pediatric gender transition services, and a drag brunch event.
The campaign, shared exclusively with OutKick and Fox News Digital, directs fans to a website detailing allegations against Rush. These include its multi-year sponsorship deal with the White Sox, which involves tens of thousands of dollars for stadium branding and game sponsorships, as well as its operation of the Affirm Center for Health, a clinic providing gender-affirming care for minors. Rush has stated it has not provided such services for patients under 18 since 2023, but the clinic previously offered mental health support and other services for transgender youth.
Will Hild, executive director of Consumers' Research, criticized Rush in a statement, saying the hospital is "betraying what should be every hospital's core mission by using its time, energy, and taxpayer support to promote radical woke activism." He highlighted Rush's history of prioritizing DEI, child sex-change procedures, and climate alarmism, as well as its "troubling history of questionable spending on non-medical initiatives completely unrelated to patient care, like its partnership with the Chicago White Sox."
The campaign also points to Rush's internal DEI committee, which organized a "PRIDE Charity Drag Brunch" with proceeds benefiting the Affirm Center. Hospital administrators required managers to complete "implicit bias" training, while pediatric staff at Rush University Children's Hospital attended DEI retreats covering microaggressions and systemic racism. Additionally, Rush has set a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 and adopted vendor policies that weigh race and social impact.
Financial disclosures reveal that Rush CEO Dr. Omar Lateef received nearly $3.7 million in total compensation in fiscal year 2024, up from $2.9 million the previous year. The nonprofit also covered Lateef's housing allowance and membership dues at private organizations like the Economic Club of Chicago. This comes despite Rush laying off workers, citing financial pressures, while continuing to fund White Sox sponsorships and climate initiatives. Rush received more than $194 million in federal funding in fiscal year 2025 while maintaining its tax-exempt status.
Dr. Loren S. Schechter, who leads Rush's gender surgery program, is also president-elect of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), an organization that publishes standards for transgender healthcare, including previous care for minors. Consumers' Research argues that Rush's use of taxpayer support and tax-exempt status to advance political ideology undermines its core mission of patient care.
The campaign is part of Consumers' Research's broader "Bad Medicine" initiative, which targets nonprofit hospital systems it believes are prioritizing political activism over healthcare. OutKick reached out to the White Sox and Rush University System for Health for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication. The group hopes to encourage White Sox fans to question the values behind the Rush name displayed at the stadium.
