Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon Expands Access to Advanced Care with Enhanced Medical Travel Program

BEND, OR / ACCESS Newswire / July 14, 2026 / The Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon (VRCCO) is proud to announce the expansion of its personalized medical travel program, designed to break down geographical barriers and streamline access to advanced, life-saving veterinary specialty and emergency care for families across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.Seeking advanced medical care for a pet often requires traveling significant distances. Recognizing the challenges of long-distance medical travel, VRCCO has built a comprehensive support system that accommodates the logistics of travel, allowing pet parents to focus entirely on their animal's recovery and well-being."When a pet faces any health crisis, families shouldn't have to worry about the logistics of navigating a city hours away from home," said Dr. Mauricio Dujowich, CEO of VRCCO. "Our hope is that VRCCO's medical travel program can bridge the gap between premier specialty care and the families who need it. By providing logistical support, virtual solutions, and local community partnerships, we ensure that distance never stands in the way of a pet receiving the highest standard of veterinary medicine."For families traveling to VRCCO from long distances, their dedicated Specialty Care Coordinator serves as a guide throughout their entire medical journey. By working closely with pet owners, referring veterinarians, specialists, and hospital teams, the coordinator helps ensure that every detail is in place before arrival, including:Medical Logistics: Gathering and reviewing comprehensive medical records and diagnostic results prior to arrival.Streamlined Scheduling: Coordinating multi-department specialty appointments and facilitating same-day procedures or advanced diagnostics whenever possible to minimize travel time.Proactive Planning: Communicating vital patient information to the medical team in advance so the hospital is fully prepared for each patient's unique needs upon arrival.Personalized Guidance: Answering client questions and sharing curated travel and lodging resources to reduce the stress of trip planning.To further reduce the burden of travel, VRCCO has integrated telehealth capabilities into this program. Pet parents can now access initial educational consultations from the comfort of home to discuss treatment pathways before making the trip to Bend. Additionally, the hospital utilizes virtual follow-up appointments so that post-procedural care can occur remotely, keeping families connected to their specialists without requiring repeated long-distance travel.For the stages of treatment that require an in-person stay, VRCCO has partnered with local hotels to provide discounted lodging rates for traveling pet parents. Furthermore, to ensure families feel welcome during their stay, VRCCO provides a curated resource guide to Bend, highlighting pet-friendly restaurants, coffee shops, and scenic walking trails.Medical Travel in Action:With the continued expansion of VRCCO's medical offerings, the extended need for advanced care has already been recognized through the increase in out-of-region cases. One recent travel case to benefit from this care was Medusa, a dog transferred to VRCCO from her primary veterinarian in Lebanon, Oregon, following a life-threatening progression of acute kidney failure.VRCCO's internal medicine team immediately hospitalized Medusa and initiated hemodialysis (an extracorporeal therapy only available in a few facilities throughout the US) to act as an artificial kidney while her body recovered. Because her pet parents lived hours away, they entrusted Medusa to the VRCCO care team during her two-week hospitalization. Through constant communication, daily updates, and subsequent telehealth follow-ups, the team guided Medusa's family through this crisis. Today, Medusa is thriving with more energy and appetite than ever before. You can watch Medusa's journey with VRCCO here.While VRCCO knows they have become a medical resource for cases like Medusa, they hope to also deliver a seamless, organized, and supportive experience so families can focus on what matters most, their pet's care.About VRCCOThe Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon offers the most advanced veterinary services to members of Bend, the Central Oregon community and beyond. They provide 24/7 emergency care and board-certified expertise in surgery, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, oncology, and anesthesiology.Media Contact: Katie Sedivec, Director of Brand and MarketingVeterinary Referral Center of Central Oregonmarketing@vrcvet.com541-209-6960www.vrcvet.comSOURCE: Veterinary Referral Center of Central OregonView the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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