After learning that more than 17 veterans per month commit suicide while under the care of the Veterans Affairs Department, senators accused VA of withholding information about suicide rates and demanded the removal of its mental health chief.

“The culture of the VA has to change,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., after a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday.

To restore credibility, she said VA must take responsibility and dismiss Dr. Ira Katz, deputy chief patient care services officer for mental health.

The accusations began flying Monday after a lawsuit brought to light a series of e-mails about high suicide numbers from Katz.

Murray quoted Katz writing in one e-mail:

“Shh! Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans in our medical facilities.”

Murray noted that Katz’s wondered in his e-mail if VA should try to address the numbers in “some sort of release before someone stumbles on it.”