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
Congress May Soon Act on IVCT, LDT Regulation
This is an excerpt of a 2,017-word article in the November 29, 2021 issue of THE DARK REPORT (TDR). The full article is available to members of The Dark Intelligence Group. CEO SUMMARY: Congress is gearing up for a debate on …
Physician Salary Survey Ranks Pathology Income at Number 14
This is an excerpt of a 1,488-word article in the November 8, 2021 issue of THE DARK REPORT (TDR). The full article is available to members of The Dark Intelligence Group. CEO SUMMARY: In its 28th Annual Physician Compensation Survey, Modern Healthcare put pathology income…
New Lab, Pathology Trends at Executive War College 2021
CEO SUMMARY: Hundreds of lab leaders traveled to San Antonio last week for the 27th annual Executive War College on Laboratory and Pathology Management. After almost two years of virtual conference and meetings using Zoom, attendees were ready to gather for a live event, complete with speakers,…
Physician Salary Survey Ranks Pathology at 14th
CEO SUMMARY: In its 28th Annual Physician Compensation Survey, Modern Healthcare put pathology income at number 14 of 23 medical specialties. It reported the range of pathologist compensation during 2020 at $287,000 to $409,528, with the salary midpoint at $384,264. However, that’…
Third CLIA Lab Director Testifies in Trial of Elizabeth Holmes
SOMETHING NEW AND UNEXPECTED SEEMS TO POP UP EACH DAY in testimony taken during the federal criminal trial of Elizabeth Holmes, founder and ex-CEO of Theranos, the defunct and discredited clinical laboratory company. Last Thursday, a third indivi…
CLIA Lab Director Testimony Shows Risks to Pathologists
CEO SUMMARY: Elizabeth Holmes’ criminal trial is a case study for clinical lab directors in how not to run a medical lab, according to an attorney with 30 years of advising labs on CLIA-enforcement issues. During the trial, federal prosecutors cited the Clinical Laboratory Improve…
Post-COVID: Repurposing Excess PCR Instruments
CEO SUMMARY: Currently, there are hospital, health system, and independent clinical laboratories that have between two and five different PCR testing platforms. These analyzers were acquired during the pandemic as one way to increase the daily number of SARS-CoV-2 their labs could p…
November 8, 2021 Intelligence: Late-Breaking Lab News
Last week, the state of California auto-renewed its controversial COVID-19 testing contract with PerkinElmer to run the Valencia Branch Laboratory. Designed, built, and operated by PerkinElmer, the lab began SARS-CoV-2 testing in the fall of 2020 and immediately was in the news for a range of …
Former Theranos Lab Director Makes News at Elizabeth Holmes Trial
This is an excerpt of a 1,867-word article in the October 18, 2021 issue of THE DARK REPORT (TDR). The full article is available to members of The Dark Intelligence Group. CEO SUMMARY: During the trial, a pathologist who was a former Theranos lab director testified about the little…
Pathologist Makes News at Elizabeth Holmes Trial
CEO SUMMARY: During the trial, a pathologist who formerly was CLIA lab director at Theranos testified about the little regard Theranos executives had for federal proficiency testing regulations labs must follow to retain their CLIA license. Another point of contention was how this p…
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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