Dr. Mitchell Blutt is a healthcare investment professional and the founder and CEO of Consonance Capital. Mitchell Blutt’s background as a physician helped cement his former role as an executive partner at J.P. Morgan Partners where he started and ran the firm’s healthcare group.

In terms of healthcare investment, ophthalmology was singled out at the recent Annual Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference. Speakers pointed out that demand for ophthalmology services is growing considerably faster than the number of qualified ophthalmologists. This presents an opportunity as individual productivity within the field grows, making it an attractive investment.

However, panelists underscored the importance of identifying ophthalmology professionals who are poised and willing to grow their businesses. Practices that have invested in infrastructure and expanding their management team, as well as equipment expansion, are better-suited for equity investments. Moreover, panelists singled out practices that emphasize physician autonomy and quality of service. Investors can help practices become more valuable by developing a strategy to monetize premium services, such as surgery.