All who bought the line of BS being pushed by Attorney General Ken Cucinelli and Supervisor John Stirrup need to be aware of the following letter I received from NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia. Without the AG’s ‘interpretation,’ Virginia has the tools, ways and means to regulate unscrupulous abortion providers. Virginia always has retained the ability to stop physicians and clinical practices not in keeping with high medical standards.
Dear Moon:
We recently learned that physician Steven Brigham, the owner of abortion provider American Women’s Services, which lists offices in Fairfax and Virginia Beach, has been accused of egregious medical misconduct in other states.
Dr. Brigham’s egregious and unscrupulous actions are wholly inconsistent with the excellent record of safety established by other providers in the field of women’s reproductive health care services.
We support the highest standards for women’s health, which is why abortion remains one of the safest surgical procedures performed in the United States. The charges against Dr. Brigham are serious, appalling and out of line with the values for which we stand. We call on state authorities to use the power of current state laws to ensure that Dr. Brigham is never allowed to provide services to women again.Fortunately, in Virginia, abortion care is highly regulated through the Board of Health Professions, Board of Medicine, OSHA and other regulatory bodies and laws. We have seen the effectiveness of current Virginia regulations, as one of Brigham’s associates was recently denied a medical license in the Commonwealth as she had her license suspended elsewhere. The heinous actions of Dr. Brigham do not point to the need for further regulations targeting abortion providers, but for states to prosecute Dr. Brigham under current statutes.
We support the efforts of the National Abortion Federation over the years calling for investigation of Brigham and his clinics. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia has worked and will continue to work to make sure Virginians have access to the highest standard of abortion care.
If you have questions about the situation or want to know how to talk about it with your friends, please contact us.
For choice,
Tarina Keene
Executive Director
Hopefully, our board of supervisors, the Manassas City Council, and Governor McDonnell will see Cucinelli’s gestures for what they are–an attempt to regulate abortion providers right out of business. Those seeking further regulation need to familiarize themselves with current regulations rather than preying upon people’s fears and emotions.
