Commenter:
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia
PPSEV Comments on 12 VAC 5-412
For over 45 years in Southeastern Virginia, PPSEV has been a trusted health care organization helping people make lifelong, responsible choices regarding family planning and reproductive health. Our health centers in Hampton and Virginia Beach provide a range of services, including family planning counseling and birth control such as pills, I.U.D.s and long-term contraception, H.O.P.E. exams, emergency contraception, prenatal care, breast cancer education and screening and STD/STI testing and treatment. At our Virginia Beach facility we also perform medical and surgical induced termination of pregnancies (abortions); thus, this health center falls within the definition of “abortion facility” in 12VAC5-412-10 of the proposed permanent regulations.
PPSEV has submitted written comments to the Department of Health. Issues addressed in our written comments include the following:
A.The regulations are not supported by evidence-based medicine and represent an extreme overreach of authority.
B.Guidance and interpretive information provided by the VDH Office of Licensure and Certification (OLC) should be incorporated into the permanent regulations.
C.The regulations should recognize the unique safety and security concerns of abortion facilities and reduce or eliminate certain information disclosure provisions.
PPSEV appreciates the guidance and assistance of OLC staff during the current compliance process and trusts that these comments will be viewed as constructive insight into how to improve the permanent regulations for the benefit of not only regulated providers like PPSEV, but also the health and safety of the general public. PPSEV appreciates the opportunity to submit these comments to VDH.
