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
August 6, 2007 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
These days, it seems as if all sorts of physicians want to cut themselves a slice of the anatomic pathology pie. Now its podiatrists! Sources tell THE DARK REPORT that a large podiatric group in Atlanta has opened its own in-office pathology lab. Reportedly, this lab is generating more than $100,000 …
Sonic Lands in New York with Sunrise Purchase
CEO SUMMARY: Sonic Healthcare Limited of Sydney, Australia, continues to open its checkbook and purchase independent laboratory companies here in the United States. The latest deal is its agreement to purchase Sunrise Medical Laboratories of Hauppauge, New York, for as much as $168 millio…
GE’s Deal for Abbott IVD Collapses Last Week
CEO SUMMARY: Both companies have said little about their mutual decision, announced last week, to kill the pending sale of Abbott Diagnostics and Point-of-Care businesses to General Electric. One probability is that GE decided, during due diligence, that its willingness to pay a premium p…
BRLI Seizes NYC Share In Two-Stage Effort
CEO SUMMARY: Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc., (BRLI) reported record financial results for its most recent fiscal quarter last month. Much of this success is rooted in BRLI’s discipline in defining itself as a local laboratory and using enhanced lab testing services to align itself as …
Exclusive Lab Contracts Have Consequences
CEO SUMMARY: During the past seven months, competition in the Northeast has intensified. Decisions by UnitedHealth and Aetna to exclude a national laboratory from their respective provider panels has forced many physicians to reconsider their choice of laboratory provider—creating an op…
Lean/Six Sigma in Labs Becomes More Common
CEO SUMMARY: Across healthcare, laboratories, hospitals, and health systems are leading the drive to incorporate quality management methods into clinical services and daily operations. This fall, in Atlanta, the Lab Quality Confab will provide a detailed look at this trend, with 50 speake…
Growing NeoGenomics Offers FISH Test TC/PC
CEO SUMMARY: This specialty lab testing company now has laboratories in Fort Meyers, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Irvine, California. It recently beefed up its executive ranks and is adding to its menu of genetic and molecular assays. In December, 2006, NeoGenomics …
Lakewood Pathology Changes Leadership
CEO SUMMARY: Following the arrival of a new majority owner and a capital commitment of $50 million last year, Lakewood Pathology Associates has taken additional steps to pursue growth. Lakewood plans to acquire small to mid-sized companies that are complementary to its position in the ana…
July 16, 2007 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Another example of the globalization of laboratory testing services is the just-announced acquisition of laboratory middleware provider P.G.P, s.a., of Brussells, Belgium, by Data Innovations, Inc., of South Burlington, Vermont. Data Innovations states that the acqui…
LabCorp Buys Hospital Outreach Lab in Florida
CEO SUMMARY: Once again, a national laboratory has seized the opportunity to acquire a strong regional laboratory. This time it’s the sale of DSI Laboratories, Inc., of Naples, Florida, to Laboratory Corporation of America. DSI’s owner is NCH Healthcare System, which owns two hospital…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 11 – August 4, 2025
The Dark Report takes a look at new and more complex claims denials by payers, and suggests ways to battle this trend. Also, we offer 6 expert strategies for properly evaluating claims made by AI vendors.
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