Monday, July 28, 2014

Erik Bodin, Director
VDH Office of Licensure and Certification
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 401
Henrico, Virginia, 23233

Subject: Repeal and rewrite dangerous regulations targeting women's health centers -- Regulations for Licensure of Abortion Facilities [12 VAC 5 - 412]

Dear Virginia Board of Health

I strongly urge the Virginia Board of Health to repeal and rewrite the current regulations of women's health centers in order to better protect women's health and preserve access to comprehensive reproductive health care.

Current regulations of Virginia women's health centers are about politics, not medicine. Doctors, health care professionals, and a majority of Virginians oppose these regulations. If they are not repealed and rewritten, tens of thousands of Virginia women and families will lose access to critical medical care. We all want women to be safe, but the regulations  actually make health care worse by forcing vital health centers to shut their doors, restricting access to the comprehensive health care these centers provide, like critical cancer screenings,  birth control and abortion.

I urge the Commissioner and Board of Health to rescind these politicized restrictions and begin drafting new regulations that rely on evidence-based medicine.

Thank you for your consideration of my comments. Please do NOT add my name to your mailing list. I will learn about future developments on this issue from other sources.

Sincerely,
Christopher Lish
Olema, CA