Recommendation: Deny Planned Parenthood Expansion

Planned Parenthood Newtown Medical Center
under construction in 2010

On Thursday, the Virginia Department of Health released a recommendation to deny Planned Parenthood’s request to add two operating rooms to its Newtown Road clinic.

Why is this denial so important?  If the proposal would have passed, our local Planned Parenthood facility would be allowed to perform abortions past the first trimester.

Erin Zabel, Planned Parenthood’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations, told The Virginian-Pilot that Planned Parenthood hasn’t yet decided whether to pursue the application further.  The final decision from the state health commissioner is likely later this year.

Planned Parenthood’s new abortion facility opened last summer in Virginia Beach, and we have known that moving to a more strategic location is even more critical now that Virginia Beach has two locations that perform abortions.  The new location of our medical clinic will position us to reach women facing crisis pregnancies better than both of the abortion clinics in Virginia Beach.  We are grateful that God allows this ministry to continue to grow.  We trust that it is for His glory and the good of moms and their babies in this community.

Read additional articles from The Virginian-Pilot on the public hearing and recommendation at http://hamptonroads.com/2011/05/hearing-set-planned-parenthood-beach-growth, http://hamptonroads.com/2011/05/planned-parenthood-expansion-bid-draws-opposition and http://hamptonroads.com/2011/05/planned-parenthood-request-gets-preliminary-denial.