About Us

Clowns on Rounds, Inc. is providing professional entertainers, disguised as clown doctors to hospitals and nursing homes in New York State's Capital District. Transforming their regular acts and props into medically related routines, they tend to poke fun at conventional procedures and staff, thus diffusing some of the anxiety and fear experienced during treatment and long term care. The Clowns make regular rounds ranging from one to three times a week, depending on the contractual arrangement with the facility.

During these rounds, patients can expect to have their funny bone examined, receive a red nose transplant or have their blood drawn (with a red crayon, of course). In this way, patients learn that not everyone in a white coat needs to be feared.

Patients' families and friends benefit from their visits as well. They are made aware that no matter what the illness, there still exists the same person they knew before the hospital stay. Hearing them laugh and seeing them smile, they are reminded that there is a healthy part of the patient that needs treatment as well. Humor is just the right prescription. Caregivers, who include all of the facility staff, are usually working to their stress limits. In their circumstance, they are not afforded the opportunity of caring for the healthy part of their patients.

The Clowns will often engage the staff in light-hearted fun as well, which has shown to effectively reduce the stress and anxiety on the days that the Clowns make their rounds. A caregiver's job, by nature, involves life and death situations. By being witness to the results the Clowns can achieve, it gives these people the chance to celebrate the "life" part of their job.


Many long term patients and residents of nursing homes may endure long periods of time between visits from their families. Some may never receive a visit at all. True friendships are allowed to form with people from outside the facility. They may not be all that interested in the antics of a clown, but they certainly appreciate having a hand to hold or the chance to show off pictures of their grandchildren. The clown doctors always have the time for both. These patients eagerly await a visit from our "doctors".

Mission Statement

The purpose of Clowns on Rounds, Inc., a not for profit corporation, is to encourage in hospitalized patients, a positive attitude toward their illness and through humor, to help alleviate the fears, anxieties and stress experienced by patients, their families, friends and caregivers.

You Can Help!

To meet the needs of their patients, their families and caregivers, they must have the continued support of the community. Because Clowns on Rounds, Inc. is a not for profit corporation, all of the their funding comes from charitable foundations, corporations and private donations. All contributions, great and small are welcome. Please send your tax deductible donation to:

Clowns on Rounds, Inc.

PO Box 6364

Albany, NY 12206

For more information, call (518) 272-9197.