Brian Clement holds no legitimate medical degree. His Florida licence (NC462) is as a nutrition counsellor. Yet for decades he operated the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, billing himself as "Dr. Clement," claiming his raw-food and laser program could reverse cancer — and charging families $18,000 or more per patient.
Who Is Brian Clement?
Brian Clement is the director of the Hippocrates Health Institute (HHI), a 50-acre facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, licensed by the State of Florida not as a hospital or medical clinic but as a massage establishment. He uses the titles "PhD," "NMD," and "LN" on his promotional materials, including those distributed across Canada.
His claimed doctorate is from an institution widely regarded as a diploma mill. His Florida licence number is NC462, issued around 1990 as a nutrition counsellor — the extent of his legitimate credential. He is not licensed to practise medicine anywhere.
- Florida licence: NC462 — Nutrition Counsellor only
- "PhD": Claimed from an unaccredited institution
- "NMD": Not licensed as a naturopathic physician in Florida
- HHI Florida licence: Massage establishment — not a medical facility
- Tax status: Operates as a non-profit corporation
- Staff: Employed an unlicensed California MD and an unlicensed psychologist, per complaints filed with Florida DOH
The Canadian Tour Circuit
Between at least 2011 and 2016, Clement made repeated visits to Canadian communities, presenting lectures with titles such as "The Conquest of Cancer & Disease with Living Food" and "Make a U-Turn on the Road to Health." Venues included:
Boca Raton, Florida — "Change Your Lifestyle, Save Your Life" lecture and dinner at Boca Raton Golf Club.
Waterloo Inn, 475 King Street North, Waterloo, Ontario — "Power of Live Food to Heal Disease and Conquer Aging." Tickets $20–$30. Sponsored by local health food vendors.
Mother Meera Retreat Centre, Port Colborne, Ontario — full-day seminar, $60+HST, presented by Truly Organic Foods.
Nature's Emporium, Newmarket, Ontario — "Creating Optimal Wellness," with John Koveos and Steve Meyerowitz ("Sprout Man"). Sponsored by Hippocrates Health Institute and Schinoussà Super Foods.
University of Calgary Science Theatre 148 — "Make a U-Turn on the Road to Health." Clement had spoken in Calgary before; "last time he spoke in Calgary, 500 Albertans turned up."
Ohsweken Community Hall, Six Nations territory, Ontario — press barred from attending. The sole media presence was a SnapD Haldimand-Norfolk photographer given exclusive access.
At these events, Clement made explicit therapeutic claims. His slide presentations stated that "more than 95% of all chronic disease is caused by food choice" and that cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, fibromyalgia, and more "can be altered, prevented and at times conquered" through his program. These claims were made on Canadian soil to Canadian audiences — raising questions under the Food and Drugs Act that were never adequately pursued.
Makayla Sault and J.J.
Clement had been giving lectures in and around the Six Nations and New Credit First Nations communities in the months before two girls with leukemia were withdrawn from chemotherapy by their families and sent to HHI.
Makayla Sault, 11 years old, a member of New Credit First Nations, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia — a disease with a survival rate approaching 90% with standard treatment. Her family withdrew her from chemotherapy at McMaster Children's Hospital and took her to HHI, where Clement told her mother that leukemia was "not difficult to treat." Makayla died on January 19, 2015. Her family reportedly paid $18,000 for her treatment at HHI.
J.J., also 11 years old, from Six Nations, had the same diagnosis. Ontario Court Justice Gethin Edward ruled in November 2014 that the family had the right under Aboriginal constitutional rights to choose traditional healing. J.J. subsequently relapsed from her leukemia and returned to chemotherapy.
"We've had more people reverse cancer than any institute in the history of health care. So when McGill fails or Toronto hospital fails, they come to us. Stage four, and they reverse it."— Brian Clement, in a video obtained by CBC News, 2014
Neither cold laser therapy, vitamin C injections, wheatgrass, nor raw food diet has any demonstrated efficacy against acute lymphoblastic leukemia. No child has survived ALL without treatment.
Regulatory Failure: A Complete Record
Dr. Terry Polevoy, MD, FRCPC, filed complaints with multiple agencies beginning in 2014. The following table summarises the outcome of each.
| Agency / Recipient | Date | Issue Raised | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Dept of Health — Prosecution Services Unit | 2014 | Investigation 2014-19139 opened re: Clement and HHI | Charges dropped — no explanation provided |
| Florida DOH — Carla Sutherland | May 27, 2016 | Manslaughter referral re: Makayla Sault's death; unlicensed staff at HHI | No response on record |
| Florida DOH — MQA Consumer Services | May 17, 2016 | Status of PSU investigation; unlicensed MD and psychologist at HHI; non-profit tax status; Canadian harm | No response on record |
| Kaunas Medical School, Lithuania | May 6, 2016 | Clement appeared as keynote speaker at lifestyle conference; demanded explanation | No response on record |
| Health Canada — HPCD | March 2019 | Unauthorized advertising of stem cell therapies (separate but related complaint re: Stem Cell Centers) | Compliance letter issued; company agreed to stop Canadian advertising; file shared with US FDA |
| CBC News — Jennifer Blair | Sep 16, 2020 | Full complaint package forwarded including HHI licence status, credential fraud, Makayla Sault connection | No broadcast story resulted |
| OPP / Canadian Border Services / Ohsweken Police | 2014–2016 | Clement's repeated entry into Canada to solicit patients | No action taken |
Health Canada did eventually block Clement's products from sale in Canada, following his May 2016 Ohsweken visit. This represents the only concrete regulatory outcome from years of complaints across two countries.
What Ended the Tours
COVID-19 did what regulators would not. Clement's Canadian tour business model depended entirely on in-person hotel ballroom and community hall presentations — a high-pressure seminar format feeding patients directly into HHI appointments. When large indoor gatherings became impossible in March 2020, the circuit collapsed.
Clement himself filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Hawaii in 2016 (Case No. 16-00239), an adversary proceeding that a federal bankruptcy judge described as involving vexatious forum shopping.
File a Complaint
If you or a family member attended a Brian Clement seminar in Canada and were directed to Hippocrates Health Institute, or if you paid for treatment there, you may file complaints with:
- Florida Dept of Health online: flhealthcomplaint.gov
- Florida DOH phone: 850-245-4339
- Florida DOH fax: 850-488-0796
- Florida DOH email: MQA.ConsumerServices@flhealth.gov
- Health Canada: hc.sc.gc.ca — report a health product concern
Page compiled by Dr. Terry Polevoy, MD, FRCPC, Waterloo, Ontario. Sources: Florida DOH licence records; Ontario court proceedings (Nov. 2014); CBC News coverage; Respectful Insolence (Dr. David Gorski, Nov. 17, 2014); correspondence with Florida DOH 2014–2020; Health Canada reference 19-002350-654 (April 24, 2019). Last updated June 2026.