Biography

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.

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Videos

Patch Adams, M.D. - Transform 2010 - Mayo Clinic

Patch Adams: Living a Life of Joy

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Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

Living a Life of Joy

Exploring the audacious idea of never having another bad day! Patch discusses how to discover the incredible thrill of choosing to live everyday with joy. The focus of this lecture is life as a choice.

The Joy of Caring

A lecture on the thrill of helping others. This inspirational talk includes a dialogue to explore burnout prevention for caregivers. The focus of this lecture is the magic and the power of care, not only in the patient’s life, but also in the caregiver’s life.

What is your Love Strategy?

A lecture on the importance of having a strategy for loving yourself, the planet, and others. Patch provides insights into the need for such a strategy and also takes a close look at the conception of love and the theory of strategy. Patch offers his approach and helps the audience design, explore and implement their own love strategy.

Medicine for Fun, not Funds

A lecture on the history, philosophy, and the future of the Gesundheit Institute that includes a deep dialogue with the audience and participants. Patch introduces Gesundheit as an example of medicine for fun, not funds, and helps the audience design, explore, and implement their own dreams.

Testimonials

Wow. The most incredibly interesting, touching and inspiring afternoon! I'll carry back Patch's message to my workplace & use his tools in my everyday life.
– Bernie Siegel, MD, Renown Author

Booksby Hunter “Patch” Adams, MD

House Calls

Gesundheit!

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