September 23, 2024

Report critical of clinic where veteran set himself on fire

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A government inspector has found that a veteran who set himself on fire and died outside a veterans clinic in New Jersey had waited three months for an appointment.

The Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general found Charles Ingram III had requested an appointment to see his psychologist at the clinic in Northfield in late 2015. He had lost his job and was on the verge of a divorce during the wait.

The report found the clinic did not provide appropriate supervision and oversight in the 11 months before his death. The failures included scheduling his appointments more than 30 days apart, in violation of policy.

The clinic has since hired more staff and the VA said better procedures would be implemented next year.

Ingram killed himself in March 2016.