Hunter Doherty "Patch" Adams (born May 28, 1945) is an American physician, social activist,

clown and author. He founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1971. Each year he organizes a group
of volunteers from around the world to travel to various countries where they dress as clowns in
an effort to bring humor to orphans, patients, and other people.[1]
Adams is currently based in Urbana, Illinois. In collaboration with the institute, he promotes an
alternative health care model, not funded by insurance policies.[1]

Contents

1 Early life
o 1.1 Early career

2 Gesundheit! Institute

3 In media

4 Bibliography

5 References

6 External links

Early life
Adams was born in Washington, D.C. His father, an officer in the United States Army, had
fought in Korea, and died while stationed in Germany when Adams was a teenager.[1] After his
father's death, Adams returned to the United States with his mother and brother. Adams has
stated that, upon his return, he encountered institutional injustice which made him a target for
bullies at school. As a result, Adams was unhappy and became actively suicidal. After being
hospitalized three times in one year for wanting to end his life, he decided "you don't kill
yourself, stupid; you make revolution."[2]

Early career
After graduating (1963) from Wakefield High School,[3] Adams completed pre-med coursework
at George Washington University. He began medical school without an undergraduate degree,
and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree at Virginia Commonwealth University (Medical
College of Virginia) in 1971. In the late 1960s one of his closest friends (a man, not a woman as
depicted in the Patch Adams film) was murdered. Convinced of the powerful connection
between environment and wellness, he believes the health of an individual cannot be separated
from the health of the family, community, and the world. While working in an adolescent clinic

at MCV, in his final year of med school, he met Linda Edquist, a fellow VCU student who
volunteered in the clinic. Soon after graduation, Patch, Linda, and friends founded the
Gesundheit! Institute (originally known to many as the Zanies), which ran as a free community
hospital for 12 years.
Adams and Edquist married in 1975 and had two sons, Atomic Zagnut "Zag" Adams and Lars
Zig Edquist Adams. The couple divorced in 1998.

Gesundheit! Institute
Main article: Gesundheit! Institute
A revamped Gesundheit! Institute, envisioned as a free, full-scale hospital and health care ecocommunity, is planned on 316 acres (128 ha) in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Its goal is to
integrate a traditional hospital with alternative medicine, with the organization developing
educational programs in sustainable systems design targeted to medical students and the general
public.
Since the 1990s Adams has supported the Ithaca Health Alliance (IHA),[4] founded as the Ithaca
Health Fund (IHF) by Paul Glover. In January 2006 IHA launched the Ithaca Free Clinic,
bringing to life key aspects of Adams' vision. Adams has also given strong praise to Health
Democracy, Glover's book written and published the same year.
In October 2007, Adams and the Gesundheit Board unveiled its campaign to raise $1 million
towards building a Teaching Center and Clinic on its land in West Virginia. The Center and
Clinic will enable Gesundheit to see patients and teach health care design.
Adams urges medical students to develop compassionate connections with their patients. His
prescription for this kind of care relies on humor and play, which he sees as essential to physical
and emotional health. Ultimately, Adams wants the Gesundheit! Institute to open a 40-bed
hospital in rural West Virginia that offers free, holistic care to anyone who wants it.[5]
Adams was awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award on January 29, 1997.[6]
In 2008, Adams agreed to become honorary chair of the "International Association for the
Advancement of Creative Maladjustment" or IAACM. In a number of his speeches and essays,
Martin Luther King, Jr. had called for such an IAACM, but none was ever created.
MindFreedom International, a nonprofit coalition that Gesundheit! belongs to as a sponsor group,
launched the IAACM to support "creative maladjustment" and social change.[7]
Adams still leads trips to cheer kids up all over the world. He also teaches at one session of
Wavy Gravy's circus camp Camp Winnarainbow.

In media

The 1998 film Patch Adams was based on Adams' life and views on medicine. Adams has
criticized the film, saying it eschewed an accurate representation of his beliefs in favor of
commercial viability. He said that out of all aspects of his life and activism, the film portrayed
him merely as a funny doctor.[8] Patch Adams also said of Robin Williams in an interview, "He
made $21 million for four months of pretending to be me, in a very simplistic version, and did
not give $10 to my free hospital. Patch Adams, the person, would have, if I had Robin's money,
given all $21 million to a free hospital in a country where 80 million cannot get care."[9]
However, in another interview, Adams did clarify that he did not dislike Williams,[8] and
Williams had actively supported St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for several years.[10]
Upon hearing of the death of Robin Williams, he released this statement. "The terrible news of
the passing of Robin Williams reached me here in the Peruvian Amazon late Monday night with
tremendous sadness. Surrounded by over 100 friends and clowns on our annual clown trip, we
mourn this tragic loss and continue to treasure his comic genius. Robin Williams was a
wonderful, kind and generous man. One important thing I remember about his personality is that
he was unassuminghe never acted as if he was powerful or famous. Instead, he was always
tender and welcoming, willing to help others with a smile or a joke. Robin was a brilliant
comedianthere is no doubt. He was a compassionate, caring human being. While watching him
work on the set of the film based on my lifePatch AdamsI saw that whenever there was a
stressful moment, Robin would tap into his improvisation style to lighten the mood of cast and
crew. Also, I would like to point out, Robin would be especially kind toward my children when
they would visit the set. Contrary to how many people may view him, he actually seemed to me
to be an introvert. When he invited me and my family into his home, he valued peace and quiet, a
chance to breathea chance to get away from the fame that his talent has brought him. While
early in life, he turned to drug use and alcohol to escape, he replaced the addiction with moments
of solitude to help cope with the stress that fame brought. This world is not kind to people who
become famous, and the fame he had garnered was a nightmare. While saddened, we are left
with the consequences of his death. Im enormously grateful for his wonderful performance of
my early life, which has allowed the Gesundheit Institute to continue and expand our work. We
extend our blessings to his family and friends in this moment of sadness. Thank you for all
youve given this world Robin, thank you my friend."[11]
The 2003 Bollywood film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.[12] was inspired by Adams' life and his
unconventional methods of treating patients. The film brought his methods to the forefront in
India and Pakistan where conventional methods were predominant.
As a speaker, Dr. Adams travels around the globe lecturing about his medicine methods.[13
Hunter Doherty Adams
Born
May 28, 1945 (age 69)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nationality United States
M.D., Virginia Commonwealth
Education
University
Alma mater George Washington University

Home town Arlington, Virginia

Spouse(s) Linda Edquist (197598; divorced)
Atomic Zagnut Adams
Children
Lars Zig Edquist Adams