Volunteer pilots carry wound care specialists to communities such as John Day and Burns, where treatment for chronic wounds is often out of reach
BEND, Ore. — October 8, 2026 Bend Plastic Surgery is bringing advanced wound care to patients in rural and frontier Oregon through an ongoing partnership with Angel Flight West, a non-profit that provides free medical air transportation. The program flies wound care specialists into communities that have little or no access to this kind of care, so patients no longer have to make long journeys to receive it.
The outreach is led by Dr. Adam Angeles, a plastic surgeon and the founder of the Angeles Wound Care Institute, who has more than twenty-five years of experience in wound care. Working with volunteer pilots, his team travels to remote parts of the state to treat patients on the ground rather than asking them to travel to Bend.
One of the program’s missions flew from Bend Municipal Airport to Grant County Regional Airport in John Day, carried by volunteer pilot Robert Brunner of Salem, to reach patients in John Day, Burns and the surrounding area. On these visits the team provides care that is difficult to find outside a major centre, including wound debridement, infection control, specialised dressings and advanced biologic treatments such as amniotic tissue skin substitute therapy for chronic wounds.
“This collaboration allows our team to reach individuals who would otherwise have no means of accessing the specialized care they need.”
Dr. Adam Angeles, Bend Plastic Surgery
The need is significant. About thirty-five percent of Oregonians live in rural or frontier counties, and chronic wounds affect an estimated 6.5 million Americans each year. For patients in these communities, the distance to specialised wound care can be the difference between healing and a wound that will not close.
Dr. Angeles is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and serves as Attending Physician and Chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at St. Charles Health System in Bend. The wound care outreach is coordinated with the support of Majestic Worthington, Clinical Manager and Surgery Coordinator at the practice.
Bend Plastic Surgery says the program reflects how it wants to serve Central Oregon, by taking specialised care to the people who need it rather than waiting for them to reach a clinic. The practice intends to continue the flights to rural communities across the region.
About Bend Plastic Surgery
Bend Plastic Surgery is a plastic and reconstructive surgery practice in Bend, Oregon, led by Dr. Adam Angeles, a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. The practice offers surgical and non-surgical care, including breast surgery, body contouring, reconstructive surgery and advanced wound care, and serves patients across Central Oregon, including Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Sunriver, La Pine and Prineville.
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Practice Bend Plastic Surgery
Address 1239 NE Medical Center Dr, Suite 240, Bend, OR 97701
Phone 541.749.2282
Website bendplasticsurgery.com