Robert Michel
Until Robert L. Michel came along and founded The Dark Intelligence Group (DIG) two decades ago, the clinical laboratory industry and the anatomic pathology profession lacked a trustworthy source for information about the management and operations of medical laboratories. From its inception in 1995, The Dark Report quickly became the “go to” source of industry intelligence, innovations in lab management, and strategic market analysis.
This excellence in reporting has earned recognition from his peers. For example, twice Michel and The Dark Report have won national awards for best investigative reporting by the Specialty Information Publishers Association. In 2005, the award was for Michel’s coverage about how the anatomic pathology condominium laboratories (pod labs) operated by urologists and gastroenterologists came to be, who operated them, and how these owners marketed the AP condo labs to other physician groups. In 2009, Michel’s award for best investigative reporting resulted from his published interviews with Quest Diagnostics Incorporated when the company admitted that, for a period of 18 months, it had been reported inaccurate Vitamin 25(OH) D results because of problems with its laboratory-developed test methodology. The Dark Report’s story was picked up by The New York Times and was in the national news cycle for several days.
In his role as Editor-in-Chief, Michel brought unique capabilities to DIG and The Dark Report. His management training and diverse business experience—along with his skills as a concise writer and analyst—proved to be a winning combination for readers of The Dark Report. For that reason, Michel’s story has many intriguing elements.
Immediately prior to founding DIG, he had served in several executive positions for Nichols Institute based in Portland, Oregon, and San Juan Capistrano, California. This was during the time that Nichols Institute was an independent public lab company with annual revenues of about $280 million (prior to its acquisition by MetPath, Inc., now Quest Diagnostics Incorporated). He traveled extensively to many of the clinical lab business units owned by Nichols Institute in different regions of the United States and played a role in formulating effective market strategies in response to the emergence of closed-panel HMOs, capitated pricing, and full-risk managed care contracts, among other successful management initiatives.
Prior to his service at Nichols Institute, Michel served at three different Fortune 100 companies. These were Procter & Gamble, Centex Corporation, and Financial Corp. of America. Each was an opportunity to master new management techniques and apply them in different industries. Between these positions, he gained experience as an entrepreneur, having founded a real estate development firm and a general contracting company in the Southeastern United States.
Robert Michel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he played rugby, a sport he participated in for another 22 years. He is a native of California and grew up in Santa Ana.
Articles by Robert Michel
Getting Connected: Labs Find Value in EMR Links
CEO SUMMARY: As physicians deploy electronic medical record (EMR) systems, they quickly ask their laboratory for electronic results reporting directly into the EMR. Later, these doctors will ask for electronic test orders from their EMR. Savvy labs are using this opportunity to develop cl…
Michigan Derm Convicted On 31 Fraud Charges
CEO SUMMARY: Last year, dermatologist Robert W. Stokes, D.O., of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was indicted by the federal government for 72 counts relating to various offenses, including upcoding, and improper coding. Of this total, 35 counts against Stokes involved his billing payers for labo…
Lab Billing Indictments Underscore Docs’ Risks
CEO SUMMARY: Physicians should consider the precedent established recently when the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan obtained a 72-count indictment against a local dermatologist, including 35 counts of submitting fraudulent claims for lab tests he did not perform, as wel…
Path Group Responds to FBI Visits in Stokes Case
CEO SUMMARY: As the FBI launched its investigation of fraudulent billing by Michigan dermatologist Robert W. Stokes, D.O., two years ago, staff at several pathology labs found themselves “up close and personal” with federal healthcare fraud prosecutors. One pathology lab, based on wha…
Are Feds Ready to Strike at TC/PC Arrangements?
CEO SUMMARY: Pathologists and laboratory directors will want to pay attention to the proposed rules published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on July 2, 2007. The document is a grab bag of proposals and rules that would significantly curb many common ancillary services a…
August 27, 2007 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Something different is happening when the Associated Press does a story about how the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), a lab industry trade group, has spent money lobbying Congress. The Associated Press used federal records to confirm that ACLA, paid …
Siemens Acquires Dade, Builds IVD Powerhouse
CEO SUMMARY: In just 15 months, Siemens AG has pulled out its checkbook three times to spend more than $14 billion to acquire major in vitro diagnostics (IVD) companies. When it closes the purchase of Dade Behring, Siemens will be in the first rank of global IVD manufacturers. It has also…
Quest, LabCorp Slug It Out In Battle for Market Share
CEO SUMMARY: In reporting second quarter earnings, both Laboratory Corporation of America and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated discussed market developments. There were no surprises in the comments made by executives of both companies. Quest Diagnostics emphasized that it is hanging on to a…
PSA, MED3000 Merger Creates Opportunities
CEO SUMMARY: Pathology Service Associates, LLC, has found a merger partner that will allow it to offer more products to its pathology clients and to expand into new service areas. By merging with MED3000 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PSA also gains access to enhanced informatics capabiliti…
Unprecedented Activity Across Lab Medicine
CEO SUMMARY: Laboratory medicine is now considered one of the best opportunities to profit as the demand for healthcare services skyrockets, both in the United States and throughout the world. This is why a flood of investment capital is washing into the laboratory industry. Loaded with c…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 12 – August 25, 2025
In an exclusive interview, a laboratory industry M&A specialist discusses what’s driving lab outreach sales to national lab companies. Also, The Dark Report analyzes ways in which pathology and clinical labs can profitably partner with pharmaceutical companies.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
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