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
Commercial Lab Values Validated By Recent Sales
CEO SUMMARY: Many current owners of independent laboratories now wish they had sold during the glory days of commercial laboratory acquisitions. Recent sales transactions demonstrate that current market valuation for clinical laboratories is based on actual cash flow. Even at these new va…
1997 LIS Sales Rankings Topped By Cerner, LabSoft
CEO SUMMARY: Consolidation in the LIS industry continued during 1997. The impact for laboratory buyers is that market share is concentrated among fewer vendors. Over the long term, this reduces choice and leads to an oligopoly-type of market. In the short-term, all LIS companies are compe…
SmithKline, AmeriPath, Quest, Tenet
TENET AND MEDPARTNERS CONTINUE TIGHTENING THEIR SO. CALIF. ALLIANCE Remember THE DARK REPORT’S prediction that …
National Labs Show Improved Finances For First Quarter, 1998
FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL performance of the three national laboratories indicates that they may finally be past the worst of the managed care storm. On April 14, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated became the first of the three blood brothers to release earnings. First quarter revenues d…
“May 4, 1998 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Sales and marketing of laboratory services to physician offices is still feasible and cost-effective… if the effort is professionally managed and supported. Recently THE DARK REPORT was invited to speak at the national sales meeting of a public laboratory. Awards for 1997 sales production demonstra…
Bio-Reference Labs Buys New York-Based Medilabs
CEO SUMMARY: Here is an independent commercial laboratory that shows sustained growth while it maintains profitable operations. One key strategy is the selective acquisition of laboratory business in small, profitable chunks. The sales price paid for Medilabs demonstrates how much decline…
HMOs Abandon Medicaid In Several Eastern States
CEO SUMMARY: In a number of states, certain HMOs have ceased servicing Medicaid patients. This trend will grow. It is the spearpoint for a coming battle between government healthcare programs and private healthcare providers: What level of reimbursement is adequate to provide appropriate …
American Path Resources Bought By Pathology PPM
CEO SUMMARY: Here is first confirmation that Pathology Consultants of America has indeed purchased American Pathology Resources. The combination of the two pathology-based physician practice management companies demonstrates that the pathology industry is on the verge of rapid transformat…
Selling A Pathology Practice: Do’s, Don’ts & Pitfalls To Avoid
CEO SUMMARY: Physician practice management (PPM) companies represent a powerful new economic trend. Greater numbers of pathologists will soon confront a career-changing decision: should we sell our pathology practice to a PPM? Regardless of how pathologists answer that question, their bus…
Pathology PPM Appears Ready To Hit Marketplace
CEO SUMMARY: After several months of delays, Physician Solutions recruited a new CEO and completed arrangements to receive $20 million in venture capital funding. These two milestones mean that the pathology-based physician practice management company will soon be ready to launch formal b…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 13 – September 15, 2025
The Dark Report examines a new bill that would reform PAMA and avoid reimbursement rate cuts scheduled for January 2026. Clinical laboratory leaders are urged to make their voices heard in Congress. Also, an expert describes how labs can fix pre-analytical errors and avoid disaster.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
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