used to be a patch tool monkey but just recently found out how much more usefull the healing brush is. also, been doing paintovers on some blocked in maps for the level designers recently and have found the vanishing point filter to be damn handy. erm, yes!
As a working professional Photo Retoucher, I can say 2 things about the healing brush: #1: It makes my basic first pass retouch 10x faster #2: It makes anybody who can pick up photoshop and click the healing brush think they are a great retouch artist.
I used the healing brush since it was invented and just realized the patch tool is way better in cs2 as they seem to have improved it's blending from cs1.
I used the healing tool to clean up the ID photos of my pimply co-workers (I was the new guy then)...man. None of them had ever used it and were gawking like it was voodoo. That is one among it's many versatile uses!