The Dream Doctors Project

2002

Inspired by the spirit and some of the principles of the Swiss Theodora Foundation, the Dream Doctors Project was established through the initiative of several of its members.
The project began as an experiment at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, Jerusalem, with three professional clowns, selected with painstaking care and integrated into the pediatric departments.
Number of participating medical clowns by the end of 2002: 3

2003

The initial year of the project trial at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, Jerusalem, was concluded successfully, with warm response from medical staff, parents and children.
The decision was made to expand operations to five more hospitals: Hadassah Mt. Scopus University Medical Center, Jerusalem; Meyer Children’s Hospital at the Rambam Medical Center, Haifa; the Emek Medical Center, Afula; Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon; and Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheva.
Number of participating medical clowns by the end of 2003: 10

2004

The Project expanded to two more hospitals: Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem; and Poriyah Medical Center, Tiberias. 
Soroka Medical Center increased its staff of medical clowns from 3 to 6.
Following requests from several hospitals to allow medical clowns into adult wards, it was decided to run a year-long pilot in the Adult Oncology ward of the Emek Medical Center, Afula.
Number of participating medical clowns by the end of 2004: 26

2005

The Project grew and expanded to two additional hospitals: Ziv Medical Center, Safed; and the Safra Children’s Hospital at the Tel Hashomer Medical Center.
This year we began an experimental project in the Pediatric Rehabilitation Department of the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital.
The year-long pilot at the Adult Oncology ward at the Emek Medical Center, Afula, proved itself; the decision was made to continue the project.
Number of participating medical clowns by the end of 2005: 34

2006

Five more hospitals joined the project: The Western Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya; Alyn Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center, Jerusalem; Carmel Medical Center, Haifa; Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot; and Meir Hospital of the Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Sava.

At Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center, the decision was made to expand the medical clowns’ activities to the Pediatric Oncology and Adult Dialysis departments.
Number of participating medical clowns by the end of 2006: 46

October 2006: An undergraduate degree-granting joint program, the first of its kind in the world, was launched by Haifa University’s Drama Department and Nursing Department, as 20 Dream Doctors began their formal studies in this double major.

2007

We added additional medical clowns to be able to expand our medical clowning services to more hospital departments and units.
A number of clinical and medical studies were carried out to evaluate the Dream Doctors’ activities.

2009

Assaf Harofeh Medical Center joins the Dream Doctors Project, increasing the number of participating medical centers to 17.

July 2009: 20 Dream Doctors receive their degree from Haifa University after successfully completing their undergraduate academic training. Some continued studying at Haifa University for an M.A. in Expressive Therapies.

We started to operate the project in Wolfson and Hillel Yafe hospitals.

October 2011: An International Conference on Medicine Medical Clowning was held in Israel with 250 participants from 21 countries around the world.

Currently (January 2012) the project comprises 70 Dream Doctors in 20 Hospitals.