“Patch Adams” by Tom Shadyac

Based on the real-life story of Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams, this 1998 film begins with Adams (Robin Williams) committing himself to a mental institution after contemplating suicide. While there, Adams realizes how lonely many of the patients are and finds a purpose to his life in helping them by offering humor and compassion. Because of this experience, he decides to become a doctor. Two years later, he enrolls in medical school, where he quickly begins to clash with the dean and freak out fellow students with an unconventional approach to both life and medicine.

Throughout the film, Patch Adams brings joy to the lives of friends, colleagues, and patients around him through goofy antics and a constant vein of humor. Following his philosophy that patients should be treated with compassion and humor, rather than detached diagnosis, Patch and some friends from school eventually open the Gesundheit! Institute, offering free medical care with an alternative approach.

The film introduces a host of stories relating to death and loss — suicide, murder, illness, health care and mourning — all through the lighthearted drama that Williams brings to life on the screen.

Those who remember the film will quickly make the connection between the name “Patch Adams” and the quirky Robin Williams character. We will remember a doctor who treated patients in clown shoes and a rubber nose. We may recall his defiance of school policy and his rifts with the dean, along with his ultimate triumph over “the man”.

What we may not recall is the real Patch Adams’ social activism, and the work he continues to do to transform a broken health care system. That he became famous simply as a “funny doctor” irks the real Patch Adams. “Imagine how shallow that is relative to who I am,” he said in reaction to the film. The doctor hoped the Hollywood hit would bring the publicity and funding needed to build an updated version of the now-closed Gesundheit! Institute, a potential new health and medical services distribution model.

Instead, Adams said, “[Williams] 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.”

Adams later rescinded his anger towards the actor, but the fact remains that he has still not found the support he needs to build his dream hospital. While the Patch Adams film did a great job of teaching us to approach health care and even death with compassion and humor, it did little to address the greater issue of failing health care around the world.

Watch the video below of Hunter “Patch” Adams speaking to the Mayo Clinic in 2010 about his history and his vision. (Click here if you don’t see the video.)