Log In | Register
Washington, DC - House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) released the following statement following a Congressional hearing to examine an incident involving reusable dental equipment and veteran patient safety at the John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri:
"I would like to thank the veterans who bravely told their stories of receiving a certified letter in the mail from the Department of Veterans Affairs notifying them of possible exposure to deadly diseases following routine dental procedures at a VA medical facility. After 1,812 veterans received this letter, they were directed to a hotline to answer their personal questions and orchestrate their follow-up care. To learn that VA employees that answered that hotline were not prepared with facts – much less the necessary compassion to attend to these veterans – is shameful.
"I remain concerned with VA's lack of transparency. When mistakes are made, honesty and truthfulness are the only way to begin to rebuild trust with the public. Success is measured by veteran service, not bureaucratic preservation.
