A US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) official who tried to ban the iconic photo of a US Navy sailor kissing a nurse on VJ Day from a VA hospital has been found to have a history of controversial hospital mismanagement. It became clear.
Lima Ann Nelson, assistant secretary for health affairs, sent a memo to VA health care providers on February 29 requesting “the removal and replacement of the ‘Times Square VJ’ photo,” at the center of a national controversy. It became.
Exclusive:
The Department of Veterans Affairs just banned VJ Day kissing photos from all department facilities.
“To foster a culture of inclusivity and awareness…we need your help.” pic.twitter.com/MZfNHbpV76
— End Wakeness (@EndWokeness) March 5, 2024
The letter was leaked on social media earlier this week, with several people disagreeing with Nelson’s assertion that the nearly 80-year-old photo violates “the Department of Veterans Affairs’ zero-tolerance policy against domestic violence, sexual harassment, and assault.” This caused a backlash from thousands of people.
Mr. Nelson’s censorship bid sparked such a firestorm that Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonough issued a statement rescinding the rule change.
“To be clear, this image is not prohibited from entering or exiting the VA facility, and we intend to keep it within the VA facility,” he wrote on Tuesday.
To be clear, this image is not prohibited from being used at Veterans Affairs facilities. We keep it in a Veterans Affairs facility. pic.twitter.com/dYSikLxHAJ
— Secretary Dennis McDonough (@SecVetAffairs) March 5, 2024
It didn’t take long for people to start digging into Nelson’s past. It turns out this wasn’t the first time she faced scrutiny over her work performance during her veteran career.
When she was appointed director of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Arizona in 2016, a bipartisan group of Arizona legislators voted against giving her the job, citing her disgraceful tenure at the previous hospital. He begged then-President Barack Obama to reconsider.
In an article dated September 30, 2016, letterRep. Kyrsten Sinema (current Sen., D), former Rep. Matt Salmon (R), former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D), and Rep. Paul Gosar (R), John Cochran VA Medical The St. Louis, Missouri, center was shut down twice under Nelson’s leadership due to “dangerous and unsanitary conditions.”
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Representatives say more than 1,800 veterans were “possibly infected” with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C between 2009 and 2013, when Nelson served as acting administrator of Saint Louis University. complained.
It took a whistleblower to come forward for the public to learn that medical equipment in the facility was not being properly cleaned and exposing patients to disease. st louis american report In 2010.
The letter to Obama also noted that St. Louis Hospital ranked “lowest in the nation for patient satisfaction out of 126 medical centers.”
“We, and the “This is clearly offensive to each and every one of our veterans,” the lawmakers wrote.
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Employees at St. Louis Hospital under Nelson also reported experiencing the following symptoms: instance According to the Daily Caller, patients are left sitting in their own stool for days on end.
Despite these obvious problems, Nelson received a bonus of more than $25,000, Fox News reported. report.
The joint letter failed to convince the Obama administration to fire Nelson, and the Phoenix facility was “ranked as one of the worst in the country in 2017,” the outlet said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed to Fox News Digital that Nelson’s memo was sent but should not have been sent and has been rescinded.
Even after Mr. McDonough overrode Mr. Nelson’s photo ban, he ignored calls for Mr. Nelson to be fired.
“Rima has dedicated her career to serving veterans. We are fortunate to have her at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and she will remain with us,” the Secretary told Fox News. said in a statement.
