(SPONSORED) — A new facility providing more access for veterans in Southern Colorado has opened in Colorado Springs.

The Veterans Affairs of Eastern Colorado Health Care System (VA ECHCS) opened a new addition on April 7 that doubles the current facility in size. The new 9,000-square-foot space will continue to offer counseling in a non-clinical setting as more and more vets seek care.

The expansion will move six primary care teams to the Lindstrom Clinic on Centennial Boulevard, which will also become a specialty hub. It will include physical therapy, intensive community mental health recovery, and vocational rehabilitation services as well as care for veterans experiencing homelessness.

“Colorado Springs has grown,” said James Crabtree, the Assistant Director of the Pikes Peak VA ECHCS. “In fact, the trends indicate Colorado Springs will grow over 23.8% in the next 10 years, much quicker than Denver. We needed to look at what specialty we had here and how to continue primary care.”

Of the more than 100,000 veterans currently enrolled in VA ECHCS, roughly 48,000 live in Colorado Springs.

Most VA primary care teams will relocate from PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Clinic. The 76,000-square-foot outpatient facility on Centennial Boulevard will become a specialty hub, including physical therapy, orthopedics, cardiology, urology, acupuncture and chiropractic care.

This year’s projects will also open enough space for six more primary care teams, so 6,000 more veterans can also choose VA providers for routine health and wellness check-ups.

The VA is also recommending veterans get screened for any toxic exposure during their service. The PACT Act expanded eligibility last August for millions of Veterans, including Vietnam, Gulf War and Post-9/11 veterans.

For more information on how to apply for VA health care, including the documents needed to determine eligibility, visit VA.gov/health-care/how-to-apply.

The VA is recognizing more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic exposures. Of the more than 34,000 screenings completed since November in VA ECHCS, nearly half had at least one exposure concern.