Board of Health,

We are writing to encourage the Board of Virginia Health to regulate Virginia abortion facilities with respect to health care standards and practices that promote treatment of women by licensed professional medical personnel in sanitary, safe, and properly equipped facilities. We believe the abortion centers should be required to maintain the same levels of cleanliness and other standards as hospitals and outpatient facilities meet. An abortion is just as much a surgical procedure as any operation performed in a hospital, and should be regulated as such. We believe abortion facilities and providers should have to pass standard written healthcare examinations and should be licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia. They should be affiliated with a local hospital which has personnel available at all times to treat patients in emergency situations. Abortion facilities should be inspected, as other health care facilities are inspected. Please do what is necessary to strengthen emergency care standards and other regulations currently in place. Thank you for your consideration. Edward Edman