Dear Virginia Board of Health members and staff:

I encourage the Board of Health not to impose requirements on women's health centers other than those requirements necessary to ensure the cleanliness and safety of the centers.  Any such requirements should be reasonable and comparable to requirements imposed on other types of facilities that offer similar educational, counseling, and limited medical services in the state. 

The Board should NOT impose requirements that would normally apply only to full-service hospitals, emergency rooms, and surgical centers, especially to the extent particular such requirements are not necessary given the nature of the services provided at the health centers.

Furthermore, the Board should allow any requirements that are imposed on health centers to be tailored to the nature of the services at individual centers, to ensure that unnecessary requirements are not imposed on each center.

The Board should endeavor to ensure that ample numbers of women's health centers are easily available throughout the state to women of all economic means and without restrictions on the services the centers can provide, to avoid a return to "back alley" services that historically were harmful to women.  Women should have ready access to good information and hygienic treatment and supplies needed to manage their own health.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Henri Bartholomot

Falls Church, VA