In Sickness, They Help When Kids Are Sick And Day Cares Can’t Take Them, Hugs To Health Opens Its Doors

Last week, Olivia Wicks’ busy life hit a bump. It was on her little girl’s tummy.

That first tiny, red pock can signal huge problems for any working parent. Fortunately, the mother of two had a fool-proof chicken pox remedy.

Hugs.

Hugs to Health, a day care center located in Valley Hospital and Medical Center, has been soothing the ills of children and the worries of their parents for more than a decade. It’s the only hospital-based day care in the area that takes children with chicken pox. It’s the only one with three rooms, so children can be separated according to their type of illness.

The facility is especially busy this time of year, when nasty viruses lurk around every corner. When snowflakes start to fall and tiny noses flow. When day care centers start turning sick children away.

Parents such as Kim Haas call Hugs a “lifesaver.”

“They’re on the speed dial on my phone,” the mother of two said. “We’ve used them so much, they should name a wing of the hospital after our family.”

Still, many parents aren’t even aware Hugs to Health exists.

“Not every city has this,” said Shelly Myers, a licensed practical nurse who works at Hugs. Day care centers for sick kids are still somewhat unusual, the nurse said.

The Spokane area is fortunate to have two of them. Hugs to Health is the largest. Sacred Heart Medical Center downtown has a smaller facility, called Cuddles n’ Care.

The centers are heading into their busiest season of the year: winter. Still, six or seven kids is considered a lively day at Hugs, which has its own entrance on the east side of the hospital building.

Parents new to the day care often expect it to be drab and sterile-looking. Instead, they find walls covered with bright pictures of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other Disney characters. The rooms are filled with toys and games.

Children eat Popsicles and cuddle with their blankies. If they’re tired, they can lie down on a cot. If they’re energetic, they color, read or play Nintendo.

“She gets pampered here,” said James Young, a single dad picking up his sniffly, feverish six-year-old last week. Comfortable on her cot, the little girl didn’t want to leave.

“She told me: Dad, I want to come here tomorrow,” Young said.

Hugs caters to kids with minor to moderate illness: children most other day cares turn away.

They’re youngsters with colds, flu, ear infections or asthma.

“We don’t take measles, mumps or head lice,” said Hugs manager, Teri Pitts.

They also don’t take high fevers or whooping cough.

Nurses and nursing aides staff the day care, administering medication, checking temperatures and admiring crayon masterpieces. If a child’s condition worsens, they’ll call parents and advise them to see a doctor.

They encourage parents to call as often as they want, or visit, if it eases their worry.

Hugs was created to help working parents, many of whom can’t get time off every time their little ones are sick.

“I’m a single parent of two,” said Young, as he bundled up Ellen for the trip home Friday. “I don’t know what I’d do without this place.”

Ten minutes later, Wicks stopped by to pick up her spotty eight-year-old.

“I’d rather stay home with her,” she said, “but this is my absolute busiest season. There’s only so much time you can take off work without your job being in jeopardy.

The South Hill resident left with a stack of pamphlets for other mothers in her office.

Some Hugs customers, such as Sharry Ditzler, are fortunate to have employers who pay for sick day care service.

Ditzler has used Hugs repeatedly, especially for her son, Ryan.

“He was one of those kids with chronic ear infections,” said the deputy controller for Washington Trust Bank.

“He was also there on Christmas,” she said, “with the chicken pox.”

Each time, Washington Trust Bank picked up the tab.

“It’s a win-win,” Ditzler said. “It’s better for (the bank) to keep employees at work.”

Several other companies, such as Dishman Dodge, Telect, Inland Imaging, Pathology Associates, Valley Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pitney Bowes and Sedgwick James of Washington, have similar payment agreements with Hugs.

“If we can keep an employee working, and their child with the right kind of care, they’re more productive,” said Vicki Adams of Dishman Dodge.

Happy parents, she said, make good employees.

And happy kids, drinking juice and watching “Mary Poppins” at Hugs, soon become healthy kids. At least until the next bug comes around.

“We get a lot of frequent flyers,” said Myers, who insisted that caring for sniffling cherubs can be satisfying - and fun.

There is one downside.

“I had to give up kissing babies,” she said.

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: NEED HUGS? Hugs to Health accepts children 6 weeks to 12 years in age. It is located at Valley Hospital and Medical Center, 12606 E. Mission. The entrance is on Vercler Road. Hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cost is $3 per hour, or $25 per day. Parents must call the 24-hour reservation line (922-9496) to reserve a spot for their child. Walk-ins are not accepted.