The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System will receive more than $20 million in federal stimulus money through the Department of Veterans Affairs, some of which will go to one-time payments of $250 each for certain Veterans and survivors.

The funding will go to improving medical facilities and national cemeteries, provide grants to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and to remodel, modify or alter existing facilities to care for Veterans.

The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System will receive more than $2 million for maintenance to install fire sprinklers, renovate buildings and implement conservation measures.

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The group will also receive $18 million for construction of a 180-bed unit for extended care facilities.

Also eligible Veterans and survivors will receive a one-time payment of $250 to mitigate the effects of the current economy. Those payments will begin in June.

Those eligible for the payments are VA beneficiaries who have received compensation, pension, dependency and indemnity compensation, or spina bifida benefits between November 2008 and January 2009. VA will use its existing payment records to determine eligibility for the $250 payments.