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
Educated Consumers Buying 250-Bioassay Lab Test Panel
CEO SUMMARY: Biophysical Corporation is creating a new, direct-to-consumer market for laboratory testing. Its unique approach is to offer 250-bioassay test panels—along with a staff physician review of results—to the educated, informed consumer. Testing multiple biomarkers ma…
Teamwork Between Labs Helped NYC Flu Response
CEO SUMMARY: Shaped by the experiences of 9/11 and the anthrax outbreak in 2001, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene revised and improved its preparedness plan. With the outbreak of influenza A/Novel H1N1 this spring, the Public Health Department be…
June 29, 2009 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
In recent weeks, the laboratory at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay, Ohio, received its accreditation for ISO 15189: Medical Laboratories. With this achievement, Blanchard Valley becomes only the third lab in the United States to become ISO 15189-accredited. Blanchard Valley’s …
Influenza A/H1N1 Outbreak Offers Lessons for Labs
CEO SUMMARY: As influenza A/H1N1 spread, clinical labs nationwide learned that they did not have the capacity to test for an outbreak of flu that generated a 10-fold increase in sample volume. To move the samples through the system, many clinical labs ran extra shifts and ran sho…
CDC, Public Health Labs Added Flu Test Capacity
CEO SUMMARY: Discovery of the A/H1N1 strain of influenza made it imperative that public health laboratories in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and other countries have more molecular testing capacity and capabilities in support of efforts to track and control the outbreak. App…
35 Firms Get FDA Warning Letters Regarding Various Swine Flu Claims
THREE COMPANIES ADVERTISING laboratory tests for swine flu A/H1N1 were among those firms targeted for warning letters by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month. Between May 4 and May 29, the FDA sent warning letters to 35 companies. The warning letter typ…
Accreditation with DNV Helps Hospital Raise Inpatient Volume
CEO SUMMARY: In Utica, New York, 201-bed St. Elizabeth Medical Center was the first hospital in New York State and one of the first five hospitals nationwide to meet the new accreditation standard from DNV Healthcare, of Cincinnati, Ohio. St. Elizabeth administrators credit use o…
Mickey Mouse to Educate Kids About Allergy Lab Test Options
THIS MAY BE A FIRST IN LABORATORY TEST SALES AND MARKETING! Mickey Mouse will star in a new children’s book designed to educate children and parents about diagnosis and management of allergies. This unique marketing campaign is the brainchild of Siemens Healthcare and Walt…
Influenza A Test Is a Help When Screening for H1N1
CEO SUMMARY: Viracor Laboratories is preparing to handle expanded volumes of influenza testing prior to the start of the next flu season. It will use added instrumentation and expanded working hours to expand capacity. Another strategy is to use influenza A testing as a way to re…
June 08, 2009 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Earlier this spring, El Camino Hospital of Mountain View, California, announced the launch of what it calls the “Genetic Medicine Institute (GMI).” It claims it is the first hospital in the United States to “integrate genomic medicine into healthcare delivery.” El Camino will…
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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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