A VA clinic in Boston is preparing for a major expansion project that will increase access to veterans benefits for healthcare and mental health, according to local reports.

The $188 million expansion of the Brockton VA hospital has so far only received $24 million in federal funding necessary to complete the project, according to a report from the Bridgewater Independent. These funds were delivered in 2009, and were earmarked for the design process.

The remaining funds are subject to approval as part of President Barack Obama's new budget proposal, released February 13. If funded, the Boston-area VA hospital will construct a 96-bed long-term care spinal cord injury unit to replace the current 60-bed unit. That area of the hospital would then be turned into an outpatient mental health facility, according to the Independent.

Meanwhile, a newly expanded wing of the VA hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, is nearly set to open following slight delays. The $14.5 million expansion comprises four surgery operating rooms, an intensive care unit, a recovery room and a sterilization-processing room, according to local NBC affiliate KKCO.

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