CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) _ The Charleston VA Medical Center is expecting a record 10 percent growth for the fiscal year that winds up at the end of next month.

Director Scott Isaacks told local media outlets Wednesday that each week between 150 and 200 veterans are enrolling as new patients at the Ralph Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Isaacks said the center has recruited 270 additional staff to respond to the growth. The medical center system has about 2,300 workers.

Last December, the center opened a new $10 million mental health research center.

The VA medical center provides primary and mental health care for more than 63,000 veterans along the South Carolina and Georgia coasts.