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
Carilion Health Acquires Chi Lab Consultancy
CEO SUMMARY: In selling Park City Solutions Laboratory Services Group to Carilion Health System, Park City Solutions is returning to its core competency in healthcare information technology consulting services. For Carilion Health System, this acquisition puts it firmly in the national la…
Phlebotomists in Calif. Undergoing Certification
CEO SUMMARY: State certification of phlebotomists is under way in the Golden State. By April 9, 2006, all phlebotomists in California will need to maintain state certification. This development adds complexity to laboratory management in California. However, there are no signs that other …
For Molecular Tests, Evaluate All Factors
CEO SUMMARY: When this hospital lab adopted molecular screening tests for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoaea, physicians soon noticed a change in the rate of false positives. In researching the performance of the molecular assays compared to cultures, pathologists at this lab…
LIS Market Evolving To Serve New Needs
CEO SUMMARY: Ongoing reimbursement declines, coupled with other key factors, are pushing labs to seek new capabilities for their laboratory information systems (LIS). Another influence is the growth of molecular diagnostic programs in hospital labs. Molecular testing places unique demands…
Urology Revenue Loss Drives AP Lab Condos
CEO SUMMARY: Urologists are motivated to operate anatomic pathology laboratory condominiums as a way to replace lost income after Medicare imposed a major reimbursement cut for a key urology procedure. Capturing revenue from ancillary services is a hot topic within the urology profession….
“May 30, 2005 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
It’s been a revolving door for senior executives at Specialty Laboratories, Inc. during the past seven weeks. Gone by resignation is CFO Kevin Sayer (effective May 16). Gone by elimination of positions are Dan R. Angress, Sr. VP/Business Development (April 8) and Cynthia K. French,…
“Coming Out” Party In Atlanta for IQLM
CEO SUMMARY: It was like a debutante ball for the fledgling Institute for Quality in Laboratory Medicine (IQLM). Over three days, thought leaders in healthcare and laboratory testing tackled the issue of how laboratory medicine can improve patient safety and contribute to higher-quality h…
JCAHO, NQF CEOs Speak to Lab’s Future Role
CEO SUMMARY: What an opportunity! On the same podium were the presidents of both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the National Quality Forum (NQF), specifically to speak about laboratory medicine’s role in the evolution of the nation’s heal…
Horizon and Caremark Rx Put $3 Mil into E-Prescribing
IT’S A $3 MILLION BET on the value of electronic prescribing by physicians. Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey and Caremark Rx are teaming up to subsidize the cost to convert 700 physicians onto electronic prescription systems. The $3 million subsidy wil…
Ramifications From The “H2N2 Virus Affair”
CEO SUMMARY: Here’s the story, with new details, about how a patient sample, cross-contaminated with a “deadly” strain of influenza virus from a proficiency test kit, triggered alarm bells at the highest levels of public health in Canada, the United States, and the World Health Orga…
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?
Lab leaders rely on THE DARK REPORT for actionable intelligence on important developments in the business of laboratory testing. Maximize the money you make-and the money you keep! Best of all, it is released every three weeks!
Sign up for TDR Insider
Join the Dark Intelligence Group FREE and get TDR Insider FREE!
Never miss a single update on the issues that matter to you and your business.