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
Labs Need Response to Physicians’ Use of EMR
CEO SUMMARY: A new trend is emerging in outreach laboratory IT systems. Labs are linking to the electronic medical record (EMR) systems in their physician clients’ offices. Delivering lab results to these systems is already common. Enabling electronic order entry is the next wave. Clini…
Pathologist Builds General Path Business From Office Lab
CEO SUMMARY: Doctors Pathology Services in Delaware is successful for two reasons. First it runs the largest pathology lab in the state. But more important, it runs one of the few successful mobile pathology services anywhere. The Mobile Intraoperative Consultation Service(MICS)allows the…
Acute Histotech Shortage Grows Across the USA
CEO SUMMARY: Pathology laboratories are enjoying steady increases in specimen volume and revenue as new molecular assays gain acceptance by clinicians. However, the supply of histotechnologists is failing to keep pace with growth in the volume of tissue-based testing. One executive who pl…
November 27, 2006 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
“Postal Rage” is the term coined to describe the phenomenon of crazed postal workers rampaging through post office facilities shooting at co-workers. In recent days, the nation may have seen its first example of “Patient Rage” in a hospital. On November 20, a patient standing in line to get a…
Payer Sues Pathologists For Clin Path Fee Refund
CEO SUMMARY: In September, Anthem filed three lawsuits against pathology groups in Virginia, seeking refunds and punitive damages of up to $1million from each pathology group for pathology professional services provided in hospital labs by these pathology groups during the period 2001 thr…
Ventana & Cytyc Fall Short, Danaher Wins the Prize
WHEN Danaher Corporation’s high bid for Vision Systems Limited of Melbourne, Australia, was accepted last month, it appeared to be simply another acquisition by a large U.S. manufacturer. But, in fact, there are four reasons this transaction is significant to patho…
Doctors’ Income Survey Includes Pathologists
CEO SUMMARY: Information on the year-to-year change in average total cash compensation for physicians shows that income is not keeping pace with inflation. That is not news to the physician community. However, pathologists continue to earn compensation that is above the midpoint average f…
Medical Identity Theft Is Twist On Identity Theft Crime Wave
THERE’S A NEW TWIST to the crime of identity theft. In a recently issued report, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alerted the health- care industry to a new threat. Organized criminal gangs are stealing medical information. Healthcare workers are frequently part of these conspir…
Docs’ Pricing, Outcomes Available to the Public
CEO SUMMARY: Transparency of provider prices and outcomes is coming to healthcare. A new executive order directs all federal agencies to collect and publish data on prices and outcomes for healthcare providers serving beneficiaries of government health programs. At the same time, private …
RedPath Integrated Pathology Raises $4 Million From Investors
IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, RedPath Integrated Pathology, Inc. is in the midst of raising money for expansion. On September 25, 2006, it announced a $4 million equity financing commitment from NewSpring Capital of Philadephia, Pennsylvania. RedPath represents an in…
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.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
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