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
SBCL Makes System-Wide Commitment To AutoPap
SOMEONE ALWAYS HAS TO BE FIRST to adopt new technology. In the case of automated cytology, it will be SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories (SBCL). SBCL and NeoPath, Inc. announced a four-year national agreement between the two companies on October 9 which will e…
PathSOURCE Is Newest Pathology Consolidator
CEO SUMMARY: Based in New York, PathSOURCE becomes the newest pathology network and services company to hit the market. PathSOURCE’s organizers want to link “best in class” dermatopathologists and academic pathology subspecialists to compete for outreach pathology specimens. PathSOU…
Lab Specialists Acquired By Kroll-O’Gara Company
CEO SUMMARY: Laboratory Specialists of America has demonstrated a multi-year capability to increase revenues and boost earnings. The merger with Kroll-O’Gara provides it with ample capital to intensify its own acquisition program. One key to Laboratory Specialists’ success is its reco…
Bankruptcy Court Okays Unilab’s Offer For Meris
CEO SUMMARY: Meris Laboratories, Inc. is now history. California’s intense competitive market pushed the company into bankruptcy and eventual sale to Unilab, Inc. Even as Unilab moves to consolidate and integrate Meris’ clients and operations into its system, attention is focusing on …
“November 9, 1998 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
HBO & Co. is the latest to fall victim to consolidation mania. McKesson, Inc. is purchasing HBO for $14 billion in stock. McKesson wants to complement its services as a pharmacy benefits manager with HBO’s extensive health information system capabilities. Combined,…
SBCL Inks National Pact With Aetna US Healthcare
CEO SUMMARY: As a corporate strategy, SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories wants national contracts and exclusive provider status. The Aetna U.S. Healthcare agreement is SmithKline’s latest victory. Both companies are moving rapidly to implement the contract. In many cities where Ae…
SmithKline’s Strategies Now Delivering Benefits
CEO SUMMARY: Business strategy does make a difference. However, it sometimes takes years to appreciate the wisdom of choosing one strategy over another. In the case of SmithKline Beecham’s lab division, the decision to become sole-source provider to the nation’s largest HMOs may event…
UroCor’s Sales Team Continues To Achieve New Sales Milestones
AT A TIME WHEN MANY clinical laboratories are experiencing a lack of growth, UroCor, Inc. of Oklahoma City continues its expansion of diagnostic services. Recently the company announced an important milestone. At the end of third quarter 1998, UroCor now services 2,500 of the nation…
Washington State’s PacLab Network Is A Regional Winner
CEO SUMMARY: As a regional laboratory network, PacLab is unusual in one respect: participating hospital laboratories did not meet endlessly to talk about what they should do. Instead, action was the operative word for these network organizers. Since becoming operational in 1996, their bia…
Pathology PPMs Unlike Most Other PPM Firms
PHYSICIAN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT (PPM) companies have arrived at pathology’s doorstep. For better or worse, a new era is pushing its way into the pathology profession. In the first installment of this exclusive DARK REPORT series, we exposed the rotten secret behind the …
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.
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