By Christy Goodman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 25, 2007; PW01
Manassas's only abortion clinic is in the City Council's crosshairs.
The council passed a resolution Tuesday that would create a committee to study what regulations and guidelines any clinic providing abortions in the city operate under and determine "if more stringent guidelines are necessary," said council member Marc T. Aveni (R), the resolution's author.
There is only one clinic in the city where abortions are available. Amethyst Health Center for Women, near Prince William Hospital, has been open for 18 years.
"The focus of this is to look at the health and safety requirements being done in this facility. Are there any? My understanding is there are none," said Aveni, who listed inspections, cleanliness, after-care, hospital privileges and procedures done on minors as some of the issues he is concerned with.
"I am just astonished," said Elizabeth VanDerWoude, owner of the clinic. "It is above the law. I mean, who made them so holy? What right have they to put regulations on the clinic while I am complying with everything and above what they ask from me?"
Virginia requires a woman to wait 24 hours after an initial appointment before she can have an abortion procedure. Virginia also requires parental or a legal custodian's permission before an abortion is performed on a minor.
In addition to federal standards, medical clinics and doctors must follow regulations and professional conduct requirements of the state's Board of Medicine and the Department of Health Professionals. Physicians who perform abortions are required to maintain professional standards and licenses.
Speaking to the council Tuesday, Sue Fleming of Manassas called abortions "a violent and deadly" procedure and said she was concerned the clinic was performing late-term abortions and conducting the procedure on minors.
"Abortions don't really have boundaries, and I know a lot of Prince William women come to Manassas to have their babies killed," said Barbara Dodge, a Prince William County resident. Dodge said veterinarians have more regulations that these clinics and urged the council to make a "Godly decision."
The Amethyst Health Center provides surgical and medical abortion services in addition to gynecological services and is a member of the National Abortion Federation, which makes unannounced inspections, VanDerWoude said.
The federation requires its members to follow clinical guidelines that specify who can perform an abortion, how anesthesia is used and what post-operative care is provided.
VanDerWoude said there are three physicians licensed in obstetrics and gynecology who perform the abortions and provide other medical services at her clinic.
"We don't do abortions over the first trimester. That is why everybody gets a sonogram before we do the procedure. We comply with the 24-hour waiting period. We comply with the parental consent," VanDerWoude said. She also said the clinic provides counseling and support services before and after abortions.
The City Council's options to enact regulations and guidelines covering the clinic are narrow. Such options might include changing the definition of a hospital to include any medical facility performing 25 abortions or more per year, or requiring current and future clinics to meet standards for outpatient surgical hospitals, including elevators and other architectural changes.
Similarly worded legislation has passed the House of Delegates several times but has been killed by the Senate.
"As one legislator said on the floor of the House years ago, 'We don't have to make abortion illegal, we can just make it impossible,' " said David Nova, vice president of Planned Parenthood Health Systems. Nova said his organization will be watching the Manassas committee to prevent health centers being "forced to close due to over-regulation or targeted regulation."
Targeted regulations on abortion clinics are being attempted across the country, said Jennifer Blasdell, the director of public policy for the National Abortion Federation. "Regulations such as these are calculated to chip away at abortion access under the guise of legitimate regulation."
Blasdell said that in addition to architectural standards, some proposed regulations include stipulating what medical professionals should be on staff and assigning duties to them, requiring patient evaluations that may not be medically necessary, and allowing state inspectors access to patient records.
Aveni said he would like to follow regulations that were adopted in South Carolina. Those regulations withstood a court challenge in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Virginia.
Council member Jonathan L. Way (R), who had warned against passing a draft resolution stipulating guidelines, said he wants the committee to have "technically competent people and not position advocates" to establish a need and identify constitutional boundaries. He also wants to see "meaningful" regulations that are in the best interest of city residents.
Aveni had originally included guidelines in his resolution but backtracked to let the committee study the issue. The results of the study are due in March.
Clinic owner VanDerWoude said she has been in the medical field for 40 years and doesn't need to work anymore, "but I do it out of compassion for patients." She said she is not intimidated by the city and plans to fight. "Some people, their way of thinking is very primitive," she said.
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