Column: Voices from the Field: Medicine for Fun, Not Funds

Summary: A case study of the Gesundheit Institute shows how important humor is to holistic health care. In this free West Virginia clinic, they have taken the unusual step of not carrying medical malpractice insurance since it is viewed as a sign of failure within the health care context by fostering fear and mistrust. As a way of humanizing health care, the doctors develop longterm relationships with their patients, beginning with extensive initial interviews and continuing on through house calls. As a result of their approach, they are able to operate the hospital on less than 5 percent of the national average, eliminating over 95 percent of the cost by making it a service and not a business.