Virginia Board of health passes regulations for women’s health clinics

VCU students and other opponents of the now-passed regulations gathered in the Compass last Wednesday to voice their dissatisfaction. Young Democrats' president Vicki Yerolan said another protest is in the works for October. Photo by Amber-Lynn Taber.

Jessica Dahlberg
Contributing Writer

VCU students and other opponents of the now-passed regulations gathered in the Compass last Wednesday to voice their dissatisfaction. Young Democrats' president Vicki Yerolan said another protest is in the works for October. Photo by Amber-Lynn Taber.

On Sept. 15, 2011 the State Board of Health passed the new Regulations for Licensure of Abortion Facilities with a 13-1 vote.

The regulations will affect 21 women’s health clinics in the state.

The new regulations are part of Senate Bill 924. The bill requires that the Board of Health create regulations that contain minimum standards for policies related to infection prevention, disaster readiness, security, construction, maintenance, operation, staffing, equipping and staff qualifications for hospitals, nursing homes and certified nursing facilities. The bill also categorized clinics that perform five or more first trimester abortions per month as hospitals.

“We encourage public participation, and it is critical to (our) deliberations,” Bruce Edwards, chairman of Virginia’s Board of Health, said.

The Board heard 32 two-minute statements from both supporters and opponents of the regulations.

Tosha Yingling, a student from VCU, told her story of how state clinics gave her assistance when she didn’t have health insurance.

Yingling needed screening done for lumps found in her breasts and lymph nodes. Without health insurance, Yingling said a clinic helped her get the necessary tests done to confirm or deny a more serious condition.

Opponents like women’s health specialist Dr. Wendy Kline are concerned with the costly changes the regulations would impose on clinics as well as the potentially insecure handling of patient records.

“The regulations are a violation of privacy and unnecessary,” Kline said. “Patient safety is first and foremost, but these regulations are excessive.”

Louantha Kerr, a supporter of the regulations, presented photos of a clinic in Norfolk that was surrounded by overgrown grass, had boarded windows, missing exterior lights and missing door knobs.

Kerr asked the group what would happen in emergency personnel needed to access the building.

“Coming up with these regulations has been a thoughtful and deliberate process,” director of Governmental and Regulatory Affairs Joseph Hilbert said.

During the two weeks before the meeting, the Board reviewed and analyzed the regulations from 22 other states using regulations from South Carolina as a frame of reference.

The 17 amendments proposed by consumer member of the Board of Health James Edmondson included distinguishing between medical and surgical abortions, protection of patient and employee information and lessening the pressure of building codes and licensure on the clinics.

Two of his amendments were adopted, changing the renewal date for clinics that just received their license, along with another amendment that stated when an inspector comes every two years, unannounced, they would have to identify themselves as an inspector before being allowed into the clinic.

Catherine Slusher, from the Medical Society of Virginia, proposed to have an amendment that said if any copies of records are taken off the premises by inspectors, patient names and addresses shall be edited out of the record before removal. It was approved 13-0.

Following the amendment process, the board voted to pass the regulations with only one vote against them, coming from Edmondson.

In a statement released Friday, the Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health said that “the new regulations passed have no proven medical benefit to patients and, instead, will only serve to further limit patient access to abortion care as well as life saving cancer screenings, birth control and the wide range of preventive care provided at women’s reproductive health centers.”

Simply put, rather than implement medically proven policies, the Board of Health passed regulations that will put women’s health at risk.”

The Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health was one of the groups that organized a rally Wednesday in VCU’s Compass to protest the regulations along with the Young Democrats at VCU.

President of the Young Democrats, Vicki Yeroian said that the group will be organizing a petition and will be working with Planned Parenthood and the Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health to explore the next course of action.

“It has been suggested that we begin looking towards the legalities of this bill and take it up in the court system,” Yeroian said.

The regulations will now go to the executive branch for review and will be effective once approved by Gov. Bob McDonnell. If approved, they will be implemented Jan. 1, 2012. The regulations will be in effect for one year and can be extended by the governor for six months. Hilbert said that during this time, more permanent regulations will be in the works.

 

 

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