The institute's mission is to provide free healthcare. Part of their holistic approach to healthcare is to encourage engagement with life, which is why they fully integrate performing arts, arts and crafts, agriculture, nature, education, recreation and social service with medical care.
"It will be funny looking, full of surprises and magic. We'll be exploring how far below the national average our effective operating budget can run—I believe we'll be shockingly inexpensive," said Patch Adams of the hospital of his dreams.
The Gesundheit! Institute has been trying to raise funds to build a free hospital on 321 acres in in Pocahontas County with the help of donations.
Universal Pictures released the movie Patch Adams in 1998. It was based on Patch Adams' book Gesundheit. At the end of the film, Universal Studios inserted the erroneous statement that Gesundheit had already built the free hospital.
This false claim by the studio hindered the fundraising efforts for the hospital, as people obviously could not see the need to donate money for something that already exists. The movie did, however raise visibility and helped to launch ten years of teaching and global outreach.
