"We need this throughout the VA to be something that whistleblowers feel some confidence in doing."
"A lot longer than the 18 years that----"
"That number is significantly greater than 535."
"What have we learned? What does this review panel--what do these review panels, what did they learn from not being able--from the failure to find this, ferret this out on more than one occasion over 1..."
"So retirement basically protects that employee from--shields that employee from being accountable."
"Thank you. Walk me through the timeline regarding when the VA knew there was a problem and when patients were contacted."
"How could what happened in Dayton over the last 18 years not have been ferreted out?"
"Tell me who 'they' is."
"I would assure--and while this is a hearing, I will for a moment speak to the audience--I would assure anyone in this center or any other, whether it is an employee or a family of a veteran or a patie..."
"It was theoretical because--was there no real sense of urgency among this board?"
"Should I walk out of here today, when I meet with a VFW group or a Legion group or a Vietnam Veterans group and they ask me, is 535 the right number? Should I be tested?"
"Thank you for being here. We will address, I hope, all of those concerns that you brought up today."
"But if they settle on the number 535 and it takes them 6 months to do it and the word begins to leak out that there is a problem and nobody really quite knows what is next, the affected population, mo..."
"I am sure you have."
"We need to know how we got here. We need to know how we move forward."
"The delay inhibited our ability to both inform the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association and the community."
"The investigation of the VA Dental Clinic has affected so many local veterans and their families that it makes sense to hold the hearing here."
"Thank you, Dr. Daigh."
