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
Measuring Daily Productivity of Pathologists Can Be Complex
“Conflict in groups stems from trying to use one measurement system to meet all practice goals. This is the pitfall to avoid.” —Dennis Padget CEO SUMMARY: Productivity measurement systems are widely used outside the healthcare industry to bet…
LabOne, Humana, Pathology Reference Services of Maryland
LABONE AND HUMANA INK NATIONAL CONTRACT FOR LAB SERVICES IN A MOVE THAT REINFORCES its intention to compete as a national laboratory, LabOne, Inc., signed an expanded national agreement with Humana Inc. The contract, announced on August 31…
“October 11, 2004 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
One reason why certain health plans are posting better numbers in several key clinical quality measures are “Pay for Performance” plans that reward providers with better outcomes, according to a just-released report by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), based in…
Is Nation’s Best Quality Laboratory in Arizona?
CEO SUMMARY: Without much fanfare or public attention, one lab is achieving recognition for quality and service excellence possibly unmatched in the clinical laboratory industry. In 2003, Sonora Quest Laboratories received Arizona’s Pioneer Award for Quality—the first healthcare provi…
Double-Digit Increase Predicted For HMO Premiums in 2005
THERE’S GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS from the 13th annual Milliman survey of HMOs. Milliman predicts that the rate of health premium increases will decline by 3.8% over last year’s survey. However, the average premium increase for 2005 is still predicted to be in double digits, at 11%….
IVD Firms Developing New Marketing Channels
CEO SUMMARY: Manufacturers across the IVD industry are aggressively seeking new marketing channels to reach their laboratory customers in more productive ways. That means moving outside the traditional emphasis on the exhibit halls of laboratory professional association meetings. In the c…
How Local Path Groups Can Keep Patient Access
CEO SUMMARY: For pathology groups operating their own histology and cytology labs, a growing problem is access to patients covered by exclusive managed care contracts. In the Northeast, several persistent pathology group practices are using some effective business strategies to fight this…
TriPath Imaging and Ventana Sign Major Development Pact
IF THE NEW BUSINESS AGREEMENT between Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. and TriPath Imaging, Inc. is successful, then the anatomic pathology laboratory may have a very different look in future years. Last week, Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. announced a …
“September 20, 2004 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. now has access to Qdot® nanocrystal technology for in vitro diagnostic applications in anatomic pathology and cytology. Ventana recently licensed the technology from Quantum Dot Corporation (QDC), based in Hayward California. It will us…
Florida Labs Face Off With Hurricane Charley
CEO SUMMARY: Hurricane Charley not only validated long-standing laboratory emergency contingency plans, but it introduced new issues. Even two weeks after the hurricane, hospital labs in the most affected communities continue to deal with storm-related problems. One issue is that damaged …
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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