Ways “Patch Adams” Infused Humor into Hospital Culture

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When Patch Adams was first released into theatres in 1998, it was almost universally panned by critics. Gene Siskel once famously pontificated regarding the movie, “Who would want a guy in a red clown nose as a doctor? I’d rather take my chances with an HMO.” The fact that the movie was based on a true story didn’t seem to affect any film critics, who continued to criticize the directing and writing of the movie.

Still, the point of the film, and the basis for the movie one Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams, M.D., had a reason behind all the madness. Adams’ point was that hospital culture needed a vast improvement.

The Work of Patch Adams

He has campaigned for medical students to adopt compassion connections with their patients, and to use techniques like humor and play in therapy. He went on to open Gesundheit! Institute; a free holistic hospital open in rural West Virginia.

Since the closing of the hospital, Adams has been traveling the world visiting medical schools and making “clowning trips” to various countries, visiting hospitals and nursing homes to uplift patients. While the critics got the first laugh by condemning Williams and the real life Patch Adams, the eponymous character got the last laugh—influencing the medical profession to invest more in clowning therapy, and to concentrate on improving the environment of the facility.

Funny hospital culture enjoyed another major milestone in 2011 when the world’s first International Conference on Medicine and Medical Clowning was held near Jerusalem, attracting 200 clowns and 15 physicians from 15 different countries. Anyone who keeps up to date with cutting edge medical research knows that Israel boasts some of the most innovative doctors and treatments in the world, so this clowning convention is a major feat. Furthermore, the country has 90 working medical clowns and even offers bachelor’s degree courses in the art.

The Doctor vs. the Clown

Perhaps the true conflict between Patch Adams and the medical community (not to mention the public and moviegoers) is that most doctors behave like the ones on television, not the gifted and creatively iconoclastic Dr. Adams. Most physicians are like Dr. Gregory House, or Dr. Perry Cox because they feel the need to distance themselves emotionally in a facility that is haunted by death, sickness and suffering.

Adams is and was an extraordinarily gifted talent, able to innovate in both medicine and humor. Rather than see him as a low point for healthcare, more hospitals ought to imitate his example and fuse hospital culture with positive emotions, which as everybody knows, is conducive to physical improvement. The International Conference on Medicine and Medical Clowning is evidence of a changing world. Even in the United States, there are “clown care” programs and increasing interest in the art, thanks to contributions by Michael Christensen in New York City and Drama professor and researcher Bernie Warren.

So, say what you will about the movie, the real Patch Adams was a high point for hospital culture.