Patch
Adams begins in a mental institution, where the protagonist
(played by Robin Williams) realizes that much sickness is
rooted in one’s lack of perspective on life, and humor can
thus provide curative healing powers. He then enrolls in medical
school to bring his newly found wisdom into practice. However,
the medical establishment favors keeping an impersonal distance
between doctor and patient, a practice that appears absurd
to Adams. In much of the film he brings humor to patients
at a hospital attached to the medical school, thus incurring
the wrath of a particular professor of medicine who is more
interested in maintaining an authoritarian posture than in
healing patients. Adams persists, founds a storefront clinic
in the hills of West Virginia, and gets his medical degree.
As the film closes, titles inform us that Adams is still seeking
funds to build a permanent facility at the site. His method
of personalizing health care comes at a time when, in pursuing
lower costs by any means necessary, health maintenance organizations
(HMOs) are moving toward even more depersonalization, so we
should not be surprised if HMOs end up treating more chronic
illnesses and not containing costs after all. The film is
based on H. D. Adams, Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing
Matter. MH
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