The Dream Doctors Project

Founded in 2002, The Dream Doctors Project is a unique non-profit organisation that integrates professional medical clowns, ‘Dream Doctors’ into Israeli hospitals, training them to work as members of medical care teams. Dedicated to improving patient wellbeing and enhancing healthcare delivery, Dream Doctors' trailblazing mission aims to advance medical clowning as an officially recognised paramedical profession. Dream Doctors provide specialised care to over 200, 000 child and adult patients every year, including preemie babies, youth-at-risk, victims of sexual assault, veterans, and communities in trauma, among others. Today, over 100 Dream Doctors work as integrated members of multidisciplinary medical teams in 30 hospitals across Israel, assisting doctors and nurses in more than 40 different medical procedures. Among many benefits, DD’s research- proven methods show that medical clowns improve the well-being of hospitalised children, accelerate recovery time and alleviate anxiety among patients and family members. Dream Doctors receive specialised training in crisis intervention and serve as military reservists in IDF humanitarian relief missions around the world. They travel to disaster zones around the world including Nepal, Haiti, Uganda, Ethiopia and Chad. Most recently, they were in Houston after Hurricane Irma, Pittsburgh after the 2018 synagogue shooting, and in the Bahamas following the major earthquake in 2019. As internationally recognised leaders in the field, Dream Doctors offer custom-made training to other medical clowning organisations, communities and volunteer organisations around the world in a wide range of therapeutic settings.