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
LabCorp Making Steady Progress On Path Back to Financial Health
MOST OF THE LAB INDUSTRY is watching the impending acquisition by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated of SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories (SBCL). This big news overshadows the steady gains made at Laboratory Corporation of America in its efforts …
“May 17, 1999 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Maybe the clinical laboratory industry is finally getting its political act together. Last issue of THE DARK REPORT, we noted that the New York State Clinical Laboratory Association (NYSCLA) is working to get the New York Department of Health to issue an opinion as t…
Labs Entering New Cycle Of Evolution and Change
CEO SUMMARY: As some of the nation’s most astute and forward-looking lab executives prepare to gather in New Orleans for the fourth annual EXECUTIVE WAR COLLEGE, it is time to share our assessment of the laboratory and pathology industry. Recent events presage another profound …
SBCL Phlebotomist Found Reusing Needles in Calif.
CEO SUMMARY: News that a phlebotomist employed by SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories (SBCL) was discovered to be washing and reusing needles got national media attention last week. During her 22-month employment at SBCL, this phlebotomist apparently reused butterfly needles on “di…
Crises Management Plan Essential for Every Lab
CEO SUMMARY: “It can’t happen here” is not good management. All clinical laboratories and pathology practices should anticipate the worst and develop their own internal controls to prevent the unthinkable and prepare for the unexpected. Rogue phlebotomists like the one at SmithKline…
Legislators May Repeal NY Lab Surcharge Tax
CEO SUMMARY: After two years of concerted effort, laboratories in New York are optimistic that state legislators will finally repeal an 8.18% surcharge tax on clinical laboratory tests. The significant insight behind this story is how laboratories educated patients about the surcharge. Th…
Lab Contracts Priced Below Cost May be Defined as Inducement
PROBABLY THE MOST SERIOUS problem in the lab industry is one of its own making. “Below cost” contracting is a practice where clinical laboratories offer the managed care company a price which is less than its cost to provide the testing. With laboratory overcapacity still abundant in many cities…
Unilab Signs Agreement To Buy Bio-Cypher Labs
CEO SUMMARY: Unilab’s desire to purchase $60 million Bio-Cypher must be viewed against the impending acquisition by Quest Diagnostics of SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories (SBCL). Whenever Quest takes control of SBCL’s lab operations, it automatically becomes a significant compe…
“April 26, 1999 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Think turnover among laboratory executives and administrators is high? Get a load of this! Among CEOs at the nation’s 4,838 general, non-federal acute-care hospitals, the turnover rate was 16.9% during 1998. This was up from 12.1% in 1997. It means that one of every six hospitals got a new CEO last…
Client Service and Sales Fuel Fast Growth at AML
CEO SUMMARY: Here’s proof positive that effective management can make a positive difference in the financial performance of clinical labs. Upon taking title to American Medical Laboratories in the spring of 1997, its new owners used an emphasis on “customer-first” service and aggres…
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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.
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