education and outreach. For example, The Board sets the Department of Health's program of patient and community health education services to include services addressing health promotion and disease prevention, and encouraging the coordination of local and private sector health education services. The Board also awards grants for Virginia's worksite health promotion program with funds appropriated by the General Assembly. The Board has the emergency authority to issue "orders and regulations to meet any emergency, not provided for by general regulations, for the purpose of suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health and communicable, contagious and infectious diseases and other dangers to the public life and health." Regulation of abortion facilities Historically, the regulation of abortion facilities never played a prominent role in the Board's work. The Board did regulate abortion clinics from 1981 until 1984, when Governor Chuck Robb ordered an end to the regulation of outpatient clinics. From 1991 to 2010, bills introduced into the Virginia General Assembly proposed to regulate outpatient abortion clinics, but they failed to be enacted. In 2010, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli issued a non-binding legal opinion that would allow the Board to regulate outpatient abortion clinics as if they were hospital facilities called "ambulatory surgical centers." At that time, 11 of the Board members were appointed by the prior Governor Tim Kaine, and the Board did not act on Cuccinelli's opinion letter. The 2011 session of the General Assembly expanded the Board's power to regulate clinics which provide five or more first-trimester abortions per month and required the Board to issue regulations within 280 days. By this time, Governor Bob McDonnell had appointed six of the Board members, with the ability to fill two more seats in July 2011. Among McDonnell's appointees as consumer representative is a donor and supporter of the Family Foundation, a group which opposes abortions. Controversy The Virginia Board of Health reprimanded Health Commissioner Colin Greene for dismissing evidence of structural racism in health outcomes and for saying gun violence is a political talking point. The board says his comments damaged the health department, its employees and marginalized communities. After interviewing Greene, the board members passed a resolution expressing their “embarrassment” over his comments and recommended that he cease questioning “basic scientific facts regarding disparities.” References External links Official website Chronic Disease Prevention Position Paper State agencies of Virginia Abortion in Virginia History of women's rights in the United