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
New Cytology Technology Entering Study Phase
CEO SUMMARY: There’s a new contestant in the ongoing battle to win the Pap smear technology wars. Ampersand Medical Corporation, by signing a strategic alliance with AmeriPath, Inc., has signaled that it’s ready to bring its technology to market. AmeriPath will play a major role in ex…
Tissue Banking May Be Source Of New Pathology Revenues
CEO SUMMARY: Evidence is accumulating that tissue banking may be where the “rubber meets the road;” where pharma money funds technology enhancements that directly benefit the profession of pathology. Without question, the need by pharma, biotech, and genomic companies to access, analy…
Specialty Labs and Dynacare Have Balance Sheet Differences
SINCE LAST FALL’S SUCCESSFUL IPOs (initial public offering) raised $92 million for Specialty Laboratories, Inc. and $50 million for Dynacare, Inc., the financial fortunes of the two lab companies have begun moving in different directions. Lab administrators and pa…
“April 9, 2001 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
There’s another commercial laboratory working toward its ISO-9001 certification. CEO Roy Trucks of Doctors Laboratory, Inc. in Valdosta, Georgia reports that implementation of ISO-mandated procedures is going well. The goal is to pass the audit and receive the ISO-9001 certificate …
LabNet of Ohio Profits From Network Projects
CEO SUMMARY: Since its inception seven years ago, this regional lab network has worked diligently to create the service infrastructure necessary to pursue managed care contracts. Along the way, LabNet of Ohio has found gold in such business initiatives as shared testing and group purchasi…
Knoxville Path Group Reports Tests Via Web
CEO SUMMARY: Pathologists at Knoxville Pathology Group are adding to their reputation for progressive business thinking. In addition to a regionalization strategy—which includes participation in Pathology Service Associates—in January they became one of the first local pathology pract…
Market Changes Lead LabCorp To Follow New Strategic Direction
CEO SUMMARY: When formed in 1995, Laboratory Corporation of America faced a financially-hostile marketplace for lab testing services. However, strategic planning retreats in 1997 and 1999 were pivotal in redirecting this billion-dollar lab behemoth toward financial stability. During 2000,…
Controversial Montana Ruling Pits Nurses Against Labs
MONTANA IS IN THE MIDST of an interesting feud over the scope of practice between nurses and certified laboratory professionals. On December 11, 2000, the Montana Board of Nursing issued a declaratory ruling stating that the scope of practice for nurses included performing unwaived …
DIANON Systems, UroCor, Cytyc, Digene, McKesson HBOC, Abaton.com, Abbott
FEDERAL ATTORNEY SERVES SUBPOENA ON DIANON SYSTEMS NEWS BROKE LAST WEEK that DIANON Systems, Inc. had received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut for documents relating to laboratory billing. Apparently “LabScam” is still alive …
“March 19, 2001 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
It’s one more market sign of the continuing turmoil still transforming the traditional healthcare marketplace. New numbers reveal another decline in the membership of the American Medical Association (AMA). During 2000, the AMA lost 3,000 physician members. Only 290,357 physicians,…
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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