[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 182 (Thursday, November 14, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING DR. WILLIAM ``ED'' KOIS

 Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise on behalf of the New 
Hampshire congressional delegation--Senator Maggie Hassan, 
Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster, and Congressman Chris Pappas--to pay 
tribute to Dr. William ``Ed'' Kois, a passionate and caring provider at 
the Manchester Veterans Affairs Medical Center, whose life was 
tragically cut short in July of this year. Dr. Kois was relentless in 
making sure that each patient coming through the hospital doors 
received the best medical care possible. He was often described, 
especially by the many veterans he served, as the quintessential 
``patient's doctor.''
  Dr. Kois began his work at the Manchester VAMC in 2012 after two-and-
half decades of private practice in Nashua, NH. He specialized in 
physiatry, a branch of medicine devoted to the treatment of medical 
conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and joints. His 
expertise made him a natural fit for the Manchester VAMC's Spinal Cord 
Clinic, and he began to treat many veterans whose mobility and well-
being were impacted by spinal cord injury or dysfunction. Dr. Kois 
sought to provide a standard of care consistent with the core values of 
the Veteran's Administration--integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, 
and excellence--and his own strong moral compass.
  This fierce devotion to his principles compelled Dr. Kois to lead a 
team of 11 whistleblowers alleging inadequate care at the Manchester 
VAMC. Although soft-spoken among friends and colleagues, he became a 
powerful voice and a public face in the effort to expose substandard 
treatment and demand better care for America's veterans. The advocacy 
of Dr. Kois and his colleagues caught the attention of the Boston Globe 
Spotlight investigative team, which published a story in July 2017 that 
directed public attention to the shortcomings at the Manchester VAMC. 
It prompted a top-to-bottom review that delivered needed changes and 
improvements at the site.
  As with any whistleblower complaint, Dr. Kois undertook significant 
risk in bringing these subjects to light. Yet, with an uncompromising 
spirit that many attribute to his amateur boxer father, he was willing 
to sacrifice his livelihood if it meant that veterans would receive the 
care they need and deserve. And he was eager to sit down with hospital 
administration and work with them to develop policies that fulfill that 
promise. His efforts benefited countless men and women in the Granite 
State and across the country.
  Dr. Kois is survived by his wife of 29 years, Pamela Greenley, as 
well as many loving family members, treasured colleagues, and cherished 
friends. Ms. Greenley will be on hand next week to accept the First 
Amendment Award on her husband's behalf from the Nackey S. Loeb School 
of Communications. This distinction honors Granite Staters who go 
above-and-beyond in their use of the freedoms guaranteed by the First 
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We join the Loeb School, as well as 
the Boston Globe Spotlight team, in saluting the work and the life of a 
deserving recipient, Dr. William ``Ed'' Kois.

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