Doctors call them “pressure wounds.” They’re commonly called bed sores, but by any name they are a huge problem at nursing homes. One West L.A. company, Skilled Wound Clinic, has built a business on treating them.

The company trains nurses and sends them to care facilities across the United States to give specialized treatment for bed sores. It is now expanding the training program from Los Angeles to other parts of the country.

“One of the challenges nurses have is that there isn’t a lot of education out there on wound care,” said Dr. Bardia Anvar, chief executive of Skilled Wound Clinic.

Anvar charges $1,500 for the two- to three-day training program, which launched two years ago and has been scheduled about twice a year. The company is offering the course in Dallas; New Orleans; and Tampa, Fla., in the fall.

The company, which has 40 employees at its clinics, sends contract medical personnel to nursing homes to treat the wounds.

The company charges $50 to $150 for a treatment, which Anvar said represents a huge cost savings as hospitalization for bed sores could cost much more.

Skilled Wound Clinic was founded by Anvar in 2007 and contracts with 150 nursing homes in Southern California, and some others in Texas, Florida and Louisiana.

“Our goal is to educate the nurses and the facility how to better manage these wounds and diagnose them and treat them,” Anvar said.

– Philip Joens