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
HMOs Abandon Medicaid In Several Eastern States
CEO SUMMARY: In a number of states, certain HMOs have ceased servicing Medicaid patients. This trend will grow. It is the spearpoint for a coming battle between government healthcare programs and private healthcare providers: What level of reimbursement is adequate to provide appropriate …
American Path Resources Bought By Pathology PPM
CEO SUMMARY: Here is first confirmation that Pathology Consultants of America has indeed purchased American Pathology Resources. The combination of the two pathology-based physician practice management companies demonstrates that the pathology industry is on the verge of rapid transformat…
Selling A Pathology Practice: Do’s, Don’ts & Pitfalls To Avoid
CEO SUMMARY: Physician practice management (PPM) companies represent a powerful new economic trend. Greater numbers of pathologists will soon confront a career-changing decision: should we sell our pathology practice to a PPM? Regardless of how pathologists answer that question, their bus…
Pathology PPM Appears Ready To Hit Marketplace
CEO SUMMARY: After several months of delays, Physician Solutions recruited a new CEO and completed arrangements to receive $20 million in venture capital funding. These two milestones mean that the pathology-based physician practice management company will soon be ready to launch formal b…
“April 13, 1998 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Last Thursday was the 20th Annual Conference of the Biomedical Marketing Association (BMA). Held in Baltimore, it brought together the marketing and sales executives from diagnostics companies all over the United States. The program focused on changes to how hospitals and laboratorie…
Tennessee Lab Network In Start-Up Preparations
CEO SUMMARY: Planning for the Middle Tennessee Healthcare Network’s proposed regional laboratory network took longer than expected, but not without good cause. Organizers of this laboratory network did their homework and created a solid business plan. Approval by CEOs from the participa…
MTHN Provides Lessons In Creating Lab Networks
CEO SUMMARY: Every regional laboratory network in the United States is unique. Regional variations in healthcare and business objectives are different in every case. But the management problems of network structure, governance, marketing and finance are always the same. Here are some usef…
Selling A Path Practice Requires Knowledge, Savvy & Good Timing
CEO SUMMARY: Historically, there was virtually no market for buying and selling pathology practices. That is rapidly changing as the first pathology practice management (PPM) companies enter the marketplace. Their business plan requires them to acquire pathology practices if they are to g…
Innovative Management Ideas Theme of Laboratory War College
ONCE AGAIN, THE Executive War College on Laboratory Management promises to be the management event of the year. Scheduled for May 12-13 at the New Orleans Sheraton, the program features 26 presentations covering the latest developments inn laboratory management. As in past years, there will…
Big Loss At MedPartners, Aetna Buys NY Life Unit
CEO SUMMARY: Consolidation of the healthcare industry may be continuing, but the process is not profitable for some of the country’s largest corporations. Clinical laboratories will continue to be impacted by the financial fortunes of these major players. Here’s why the troubles at Me…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 15 – October 27, 2025
The Dark Report examines the momentous decision by the VA to switch accreditors from The Joint Commission to CAP. Also, we analyze retractions in pathology journals to gain insight into scientific fraud.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
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