I support the Board of Health’s decision to amend the medically-unnecessary restrictions designed to close safe, trusted women’s health care centers in Virginia. As a person who is deeply committed to ensuring that all Virginia women have affordable access to safe, legal reproductive health care, I applaud the Board of Health’s decision to stop letting politics drive decisions that affect women’s health. 

It’s clear that the restrictions have nothing to do with patient safety and everything to do with inserting a politician between a woman and her doctor. If the restrictions remain unchanged, additional health centers will close – cutting off access to preventative and critical health care for thousands of Virginia women. Fix these restrictions and keep Virginia women’s health centers open.

We all agree on the importance of ensuring patient health and safety, but the restrictions on women’s health care centers in Virginia don’t do that. Medical experts, including Dr. Karen Remley, the former Virginia Health Commissioner, and the Virginia Chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists oppose these restrictions.

Thank you for your service to women and to all people of the Commonwealth.