Printable Biography of Dr. Patch Adams

Extraordinary! One man I can look up to and respect, Incredibly, mind blowing and memorable, and Incredibly inspiring, amazing human being, invaluable to hear him first hand …are among the words heard from participants’ after experiencing Patch Adams, the real person behind the hit movie Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams.

Patch is both a medical doctor and a clown…but he is also a social activist who has devoted 30 years to changing America's healthcare system, a system which he describes as expensive and elitist.

He believes that laughter, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process and therefore true health care must incorporate such life. Doctors and patients in his model relate to each other on the basis of mutual trust, and patients receive plenty of time from their doctors. Allopathic doctors and practitioners of alternative medicine will work side by side. If you think that all sounds like a utopian impossibility, it isn't. Patch and his colleagues practiced medicine at the Gesundheit Institute together in West Virgina that way for 12 years in what he calls their pilot project. They saw 15,000 patients. Patch Adams has devoted his life to the study of what makes people happy.

Through the success of this program at the Arlington, Virginia location, a model health care facility is being planned on 310 acres purchased in Pocahontas County, WV. The Institute will include a 40-bed hospital, a theater, arts and crafts shops, horticulture and vocational therapy. Over five years ago, Dr. Adams and staff temporarily stopped seeing patients so that they could coordinate plans for raising $5 Million needed for the Institute's permanent and expanded home, a model health care community. Currently planned is an immediate phase of this dream, a $400,000 WV facility so that their medical service to patients can resume within the next two years.

The Institute addresses, by action, four major issues in health care delivery: the rising cost of care, dehumanization of medicine, malpractice suits, and abuses of third-party insurance system.

Dr. Adams adds to his training as a physician, his experience as a street clown. In working with health and mental health professionals, he explores the relationship between humor and therapy using his unique blend of knowledge, showmanship and hands on teaching techniques. Says Dr. Adams, I interpret my experience in life as being happy. I want, as a doctor, to say it does matter to your health to be happy. It may be the most important health factor in your life.

Patch Adams, M.D., is a nationally known speaker on wellness, laughter, and humor as well as on health care and health care systems. He approaches the issues of personal, community, and global health with zestful exuberance, according to Time Magazine. Dr. Adams believes that the most revolutionary act one can commit in our world is to be happy.

SPEECH TOPICS

Living A Life of Joy
(1-4 hours)

Lecture or thee-four hour workshop using an hour of exercises, an hour of ideas on being happy and the remainder to explore the audacious idea of living happy. Patch discusses how to discover the incredible thrill of choosing to live everyday with joy. The focus of this lecture/workshop is life as a choice.

The Joy of Caring
(1-3 hours)

Lecture on the thrill of helping others. An inspirational talk with much dialogue to explore burnout prevention for caregivers. The focus of this lecture/workshop is the magic and power of care, not only in the patient’s life but also in the caregiver’s life.

Humor and Health
(1-3 hours)

Look at the relationship between humor and the health of the individual, community or society. Funny and inspirational. Patch discusses his 30+ years of clowning experience. When Patch and Susan are hired as a team, they teach the audience performance and perform a sweet stage clown show (15 minutes at the end).

What Is Your Love Strategy?
(1-3 hours)

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.

Living In Community
(1 hour)

Lecture that introduces a healthy community life. Patch explores what constitutes a healthy community, how one is created, maintained and what the responsibilities are of it’s members.

Medicine For Fun, Not Funds
(1-3 hours)

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

Magic Elixirs of Life
(1 hour and 30 minutes)

Vaudeville wellness show followed by a 30-minute discussion period. Susan and Patch clown, tap dance, play piano and accordion, and inspire the audience to participate. This provocative, informative and funny show focuses on what the audience can do to feel healthier. (Dr. Parenti required)

Poetry and Music
(1 hour and 15 minutes)

Performance with Susan on the piano with Chopin and her own compositions. Patch performs seven cycles of poetry. The idea is to harken back to the days when live entertainment was at the heart of home and community. (Dr. Parenti required)

Passion and Persistence
(80 minutes)

Show in nine acts on having passions and the persistence to carry them out followed by a 40-minute discussion. Both Patch and Susan have organized and sustained their separate communities for over 20 years. It is still a delight for them and they want to inspire others and share some of what they've learned. (Dr. Parenti required)

Desire and Design
(2 hours)

Performance on how to create designs to accomplish one’s desires followed by a 40-minute discussion. (Dr. Parenti required)