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
CAP Regains Veterans’ Affairs Lab Accreditation Contract
In a blow to The Joint Commission, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded a new clinical laboratory accreditation contract to the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The decision highlights the competition between the two accrediting organizations and sheds light on how C…
October 27, 2025, Intelligence: Late-Breaking Lab News
In yet another shuffling of the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) space, Hologic announced on Oct. 21 that it was being acquired by private equity firms Blackstone and TPG for $18.3 billion. The deal will take Hologic off the Nasdaq, likely in early 2026. TPG and Blackstone lauded Hol…
After Regaining its Outreach Service, Lab Grows It by $10M
In this case study, Kootenai Health in Idaho explains how taking back lab outreach services from a commercial lab company can improve physician satisfaction, enhance patient care, and increase revenue. Although the transition was bumpy, within two years of bringing outreach in house, th…
October 6, 2025, Intelligence: Late-Breaking Lab News
Bloomberg News has reported that Siemens Healthineers is potentially exploring a sale of its diagnostics division. Several large private equity firms have held early talks with Siemens, including Blackstone, CVC Capital Partners, and KKR & Co., according to Bloomberg. Sourc…
RESULTS Act Directly Attacks Upcoming PAMA Cuts
The clinical laboratory industry once again finds itself advocating on Capitol Hill for proposed legislation to deal with an old problem: test reimbursement rate cuts under PAMA. While Congress has delayed scheduled rate cuts for the last several years, PAMA critics feel a more permanen…
September 15, 2025, Intelligence: Late-Breaking Lab News
Owners of pathology practices and clinical labs will want to be aware of recent action by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding non-compete clauses. The FTC sent letters to several large healthcare employers asking them to review their non-compete agreements. “Many healthcare e…
What’s Behind the Surge in Laboratory Outreach Sales?
The recent CHS-Labcorp deal is one of many that highlights a market shift. Clinical lab outreach services, once viewed as strategic assets, are being sold off rapidly as hospitals recenter around core services and offload logistical burdens. This year, 30% of lab mergers and acquisition…
Clinical Laboratories Battle Complex Claims Denials
While the number of denials is not going up, the reasons that private payers deny claims are becoming more complex and time-consuming to appeal. After reviewing noteworthy trends among payers, learn a three-level approach to appeals that may lead to greater success and speed up the proc…
August 4, 2025, Intelligence: Late-Breaking Lab News
In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, UnitedHealth Group (UHG) has acknowledged it is under investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). “[UHG] proactively reached out to the Department of Justice after reviewing media reports about investigations into ce…
Lab Stakeholders Discuss PAMA Reforms
Medical labs need to brace for more action to counter pending test reimbursement rate cuts under PAMA. Although labs have received PAMA reprieves from Congress over the last few years, laboratory associations argue that Congress needs to vote on long-term reforms rather than stop-gap measures. Lab…
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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