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
DIANON Wins Contract, Buys Kyto Meridien Lab
CEO SUMMARY:Anatomic pathology took another forward step on the managed care battleground. DIANON Systems, Inc. gained status as a provider of anatomic pathology services under the new master agreement announced by Oxford Health Plans. DIANON’s success demonstrates that anatomic patholo…
“January 11, 1999 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Not much has been heard from Neuromedical Systems, Inc.(NSI) recently. The company makes the PapNet® Testing System for Pap smear screening and is concentrating on obtaining approval from the FDA to use PapNet as a primary screener. It is currently approved for use as an adjunct tes…
Health Insurance Costs Begin New Upward Spiral
CEO SUMMARY: Health insurance costs are climbing again for the nation’s employers. Premium increases for 1999 average in excess of 10%. After losing money in 1997 and 1998, managed care companies are serving stiff premium increases to their customers. For clinical laboratories, the impa…
Medicare Refund Request Issued To AmeriPath, Inc
CEO SUMMARY: Regulators believe AmeriPath’s Ft. Lauderdale laboratory submitted claims during 1996 which were based upon improper procedure codes or lacked adequate documentation. AmeriPath “vigorously” disputes the situation. It is still uncertain as to whether this action represen…
PPM Giant MedPartners Exits Doctor Management
THIRD IN A SERIES WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN the largest companies in a multibillion dollar industry announce that they will “get out” of that business? That is the question which must be answered after MedPartners, Inc. joined PhyMatrix Corp. in p…
Washington’s PacLab Network Succeeds With Standardization
PART TWO OF TWO PARTS CEO SUMMARY: In part one of this two-part series, we looked at how changes to healthcare in the state of Washington brought about the creation of PacLab Network Laboratories. In this concluding installment, we explore how PacLab is standardizing lab…
Improved 3rd Quarter Performance Posted By National Laboratories
Third quarter financial performance at all three national laboratories improved over the same period of 1997. It is an important sign that the three companies are stabilizing their finances. All three national laboratories continue to emphasize cost-cutting as a major corporate priority. That is to …
“November 30, 1998 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
ARIZONA For pathologists interested in preserving and enhancing their income, THE DARK REPORT’S Private Pathologist Income Symposium was just the item. Held in Scottsdale on November 13-14, it attracted a sell-out crowd of pathologists and practice administrators. Interest…
Kaiser, SBCL To Automate Pap Smear Screening
CEO SUMMARY: Two of the country’s largest Pap screen testing organizations are preparing to introduce automated primary screening into their laboratories. NeoPath’s con- tracts with SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories and Kaiser Permanente mark the beginning of a new market cycle…
Kaiser Plans Widespread Use For Pap Technology
WITHIN THE HMO INDUSTRY, Kaiser Permanente is highly respected for its thorough research into the clinical efficacy and economic cost of new healthcare technologies. That is the reason why Kaiser’s decision to adopt NeoPath, Inc.’s automated cytology technology…
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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