Letter to VA Urges Investigation of South Jersey Community Based Outpatient Clinics

WASHINGTON, D.C. — May 20, U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez (both D-NJ) and Rep. Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2) sent a letter urging the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct an inquiry into the management decisions of the Wilmington VA Medical Center prior to the suicide of a veteran, Charles R. Ingram, under its care at the Atlantic County Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).
Earlier this month, following Mr. Ingram’s death and allegations of neglect and misconduct by the Wilmington VA Medical Center, Sens. Booker and Menendez and Rep. LoBiondo called for suspending the Wilmington VA’s oversight of South Jersey CBOCs. Subsequently, the CBOCs were placed into stewardship by the Department of Veterans Affairs and key staff positions were added.
“Prior to the death of Mr. Ingram, our offices made numerous inquiries to the Wilmington VA Medical Center about the scheduling delays and access problems faced by our veterans. We appreciate the changes announced by Deputy Secretary for Health for Operations & Management Janet Murphy on May 6th which included placing the South Jersey CBOCs into direct management of the VA. However, it is deplorable that it takes the death of a veteran to bring the VA’s attention to the systemic problems endemic at the CBOCs. We therefore request that the Office of the Inspector General conduct an inquiry into the management decisions and directives issued by the Wilmington VA Medical Center regarding the Atlantic County CBOC leading up to the death of Charles R. Ingram. We are particularly concerned with allegations of inadequate access to care; insufficient availability of telemental healthcare professionals and scheduling delays that resulted in inadequate quality of care for South Jersey veterans,” the Senators and Congressman wrote.
The Senators and Congressman concluded, “Additionally, we would like to know if problems identified in the March 1, 2016 investigation by the Inspector General into wait times at the Wilmington VA Medical Center have been addressed. In order to prevent more tragedies and to ensure veterans receive the care they have been promised, we request as broad an inquiry as possible into veterans’ wait times and access to care at the abovementioned facilities. We thank you for the critical role you play in bringing attention to these issues and we thank you in advance for your consideration of our concerns. We commend you for your service to our country and our military veterans. We look forward to working with you to support care for veterans in New Jersey.”
Full text of the letter follows:
The Honorable Michael Missal
Inspector General
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420
Dear Mr. Missal,
We were saddened to hear of Mr. Charles Ingram’s untimely death in front of the Northfield, New Jersey Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in March. Since this tragic incident, the mismanagement of Cumberland, Cape May, and Atlantic County CBOCs under the management of Wilmington Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center has been further exposed.
Prior to the death of Mr. Ingram, our offices made numerous inquiries to the Wilmington VA Medical Center about the scheduling delays and access problems faced by our veterans. We appreciate the changes announced by Deputy Secretary for Health for Operations & Management Janet Murphy on May 6th which included placing the South Jersey CBOCs into direct management of the VA. However, it is deplorable that it takes the death of a veteran to bring the VA’s attention to the systemic problems endemic at the CBOCs.
We therefore request that the Office of the Inspector General conduct an inquiry into the management decisions and directives issued by the Wilmington VA Medical Center regarding the Atlantic County CBOC leading up to the death of Charles R. Ingram. We are particularly concerned with allegations of inadequate access to care; insufficient availability of telemental healthcare professionals and scheduling delays that resulted in inadequate quality of care for South Jersey veterans.
Additionally, we would like to know if problems identified in the March 1, 2016 investigation by the Inspector General into wait times at the Wilmington VA Medical Center have been addressed. In order to prevent more tragedies and to ensure veterans receive the care they have been promised, we request as broad an inquiry as possible into veterans’ wait times and access to care at the abovementioned facilities.
We thank you for the critical role you play in bringing attention to these issues and we thank you in advance for your consideration of our concerns. We commend you for your service to our country and our military veterans. We look forward to working with you to support care for veterans in New Jersey.