Hunter “Patch” Adams, MD

After graduating from the Medical College of Virginia in 1971, Hunter “Patch” Adams began what would become his life-long mission: The Gesundheit Institute. The pilot project, which ran from 1971 through 1983, saw over 15,000 patients visiting his large 6-bedroom communal home, shared with friends, fellow doctors, and patients. To support this radical hospital, friends took outside work to support the love that comes from helping others. As the pilot drawn to a close, Patch realized he needed to make his dream hospital a reality.

No one was going to “give” him a hospital – Patch had to go out into the world and find the hospital of his dreams. After 36 years, Patch remains energized and ready to take on the medical cure-focused for-profit industry.

Imagine:

• A free hospital that eliminates 90% of the cost of healthcare
• A hospital that isn’t filled with anxiety about how to treat patients
• A hospital that allows doctors to connect with their patients at an intimate level
• A hospital that treats care-givers and care-receivers as friends
• A hospital that welcomes complementary practices, rather than shuns them

Patch lectures and performs over 200 days of the year. He has travelled throughout the world delivering his message of peace and love while challenging the audience to love and care about themselves, their community, and our planet. Every year, Patch leads nine different missions to lead clowns into impoverished communities, war zones, refugee camps, and disaster areas. Patch’s dedication toward clowning has sparked a movement that has grown to independent clown groups in 120 countries.