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
Pathologist-Entrepreneurs Offer New Lab Automation
CEO SUMMARY: Since October 2003, the core laboratory of Detroit Medical Center University Laboratories has operated with a home-grown total laboratory automation (TLA) system. The 100-foot automated line currently connects to 11 instruments and the hardware cost only $200,000 to build and…
Supremes Rule Against LabCorp On Test Patent
CEO SUMMARY: It’s a bad news/good news outcome for pathologists and lab administrators hoping for clearer guidance on patents granted for DNA and other diagnostic technology. The bad news is that LabCorp gets no relief from lower court rulings that it infringed patents on homocysteine t…
August 14, 2006 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Here’s some useful information for pathologists and practice administrators trying to gauge the interest that urologists, gastroenterologists, and dermatologists have in capturing the anatomic pathology revenues generated by their patient referrals (the TC/PC trend). Pathology Service Assoc…
Three Ex-UroCor Execs Acquitted in Jury Trial
CEO SUMMARY: On June 30, 2006,three former executives of UroCor,Inc.,accused by the U.S. Attorney of anti-kickback and securities violations, stood and heard the jury verdict in their case. “Not guilty on all counts,” stated the jury foreman. Thus ended the effort to convict former ex…
Six Ex-IMPATH Officials Receive Their Sentences
CEO SUMMARY: Justice has been meted out to six individuals accused of criminal fraud in the Impath,Inc. case. During June, sentences were pronounced for former President and COO Richard P. Adelson and several other defendants. Adelson will serve 42 months in prison, pay a $1.2 million fin…
Defense Attorneys Discuss Details Of UroCor Jury Trial
CEO SUMMARY: This was the first criminal case involving anti-kickback violations brought against executives of a public laboratory company. Federal prosecutors charged the defendants with offering inducements to referring physicians in several ways. Defense counsel rebutted the prosecutio…
“In-Office Pathology Mini-Labs” Offered by Physician GPOs
EARLIER THIS MONTH, two large physician GPOs (group purchasing organizations) announced that they had signed national agreements with a company that would “provide in-office pathology laboratories to their gastroenterology, urology, and dermatology member physicians.” The pathology company is th…
July 24, 2006 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
There’s a new crop of Web- based, direct-to-consumer laboratory companies. In recent months, Joplin-Missouri-based MyMedLab, Inc., (www. mymedlab.com) and Med-LabUSA, LLC of Tampa Florida ( www.medlabusa.com) have begun to seek publicity. Both companies of…
Office-Based Docs Want Anatomic Path Revenues
CEO SUMMARY: Specialist physicians think they’ve found gold in anatomic pathology services. Indifferent regions of the United States, urologists and gastroenterologists are taking active steps to cut themselves a piece from the anatomic pathology revenue pie. Some physician groups are b…
Labs Taught Physicians How to Do TC/PC Deals
CEO SUMMARY: As many pathology groups discover that their best urology and gastroenterology clients are taking serious steps to do their own anatomic pathology, they ask a basic question: How did their best-referring…
CURRENT ISSUE
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.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
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