GARRISON, Ky. – After years of planning and months of hard work, NextGen Family Health & Aesthetics will officially open its doors Monday, November 16, bringing a new primary care option to Garrison and surrounding communities.
Owned by Lori Ervin, APRN, a Family Nurse Practitioner, the practice was established with a goal of bringing a more personal approach to healthcare to a community the Ervin family knows well.
“Both my husband and I are Family Nurse Practitioners. We both have been in healthcare several years, and our hope was to bring a small town feel to the corporate driven health system,” Ervin said.
For Ervin and her husband, Ray, the decision to establish a practice in Garrison was rooted in both their professional experiences and their connection to the area. Ray grew up in Garrison, while Lori grew up in Camp Dix.
After years of working in healthcare, they recognized a need for more accessible care on the eastern part of the county, particularly for residents who face transportation challenges or have difficulty traveling to healthcare facilities.
“The distance to a healthcare facility makes it very difficult for some people to get the care they need where it be because they do not drive, do not have the gas maybe, and not everyone knows about the options available for transport,” Ervin said.
The journey toward opening NextGen began approximately five years ago, initially with conversations about what might be possible. Those conversations eventually led the couple to the building on Dudley Avenue, which would become the home of their practice.
Ervin's path into healthcare began in radiologic technology. After graduating from Shawnee State University in 1998, she worked in the field for more than a decade, earning certifications in x-ray and CT.
She later returned to school to pursue nursing, earning her Associate Degree in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing before completing her Family Nurse Practitioner degree at Ohio University in 2016. Her husband also pursued nursing and completed the same graduate program in 2017.
Although both have built careers in healthcare, Lori will serve as the primary care provider at NextGen while Ray continues working for a local healthcare facility.
For Ervin, returning to the community where she and her husband grew up makes the opportunity especially meaningful.
“Growing up here was a blessing that maybe most of us didn’t appreciate as kids, but after living other places and meeting all types of people, we wanted to bring our skills home, to the community we care deeply about and are by far some of the best people anyone could ever hope to meet,” she said.
In addition to being locally owned and operated, NextGen Family Health & Aesthetics is also veteran-owned. Ray Ervin proudly served four years in the military, working as a medic before transitioning to civilian life and continuing his career in healthcare.
NextGen will offer primary care services for patients of all ages, from young children to older adults. Services will include acute and chronic illness care, wellness visits, physicals, work-related physicals, and specialized exams.
The practice will also offer in-house testing for flu, COVID-19, RSV, pregnancy, INR blood tests, and urinalysis. Additional blood draws and swabs can be collected and sent to LabCorp for processing.
Most insurance plans will be accepted, including Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurance plans available in the area. A self-pay option will also be available.
At the heart of the practice is Ervin's desire to create an environment where patients feel heard, valued, and comfortable.
“Patients will receive care with a personal touch. Undoubtedly, we will chat about things going on in the community, know each other’s families, and our hope is our clinic will be a clinic patients enjoy coming to,” Ervin said.
That commitment to personal care is also what motivated the couple to pursue their own practice after experiencing what they felt was missing from larger healthcare systems.
“Once we were working as providers and saw how there was an immense lack of personal touch with corporate health care, we knew we had to try and work toward where we are today,” Ervin said.
While primary care will be the initial focus, NextGen also plans to expand its offerings in early 2027 to include aesthetic services, beginning with Botox and lip fillers, with additional services planned as the practice grows.
The decision to incorporate aesthetics came in part from conversations with women in the community who expressed interest in having those services available closer to home.
The name NextGen reflects the couple's broader vision for the practice and its role in the community. Guided by the slogan, “Your family’s health is our community’s future,” the business was established with the belief that investing in the health and well-being of families benefits generations to come.
As opening day approaches, Ervin said the excitement and encouragement from the community have reinforced the couple's decision to bring their vision to life.
“The amount of excitement in the local community has been fantastic to see, makes us know we are exactly where we were meant to be,” she said.
NextGen Family Health & Aesthetics is located at 142 Dudley Avenue in Garrison, Kentucky. The office will be open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The practice is currently scheduling new primary care patients. To schedule an appointment or learn more, call 606-532-8200.
