By Gavin Johnson, WCJB TV20 News

Florida ranks second in the nation when it comes to states that have the most veterans. Saturday some at The Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville dug a step closer towards helping those vets who may be sick.

It was the long awaited groundbreaking for the new bed tower at The VA Hospital. The new 136-million dollar building will be five stories tall, with 250-thousand square feet and house two hundred and twenty eight beds. The new facility will have single bedrooms unlike the current building where four to five vets are sharing a room. Doctors say that'll make it easier to keep medical equipment close to beds.

If everything goes according to plan, the new bed tower should be completed by may 2011.