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
Barristers Offer Insights Into OIG Opinion 04-17
CEO SUMMARY: This is an intelligence briefing which tries to “read between the lines” and: 1) provide useful information about the OIG’s “undeclared” views on physician self-referral issues, particularly as they relate to anatomic pathology condominiums; and, 2) how specialist p…
Doctor “Pay to Perform” Launched by Medicare
CEO SUMMARY: Medicare’s just-announced physician “pay-for-performance” program will be a positive development for laboratories and pathologists. One consequence is that physicians will be measured on how effectively they use recommended lab tests in certain areas of care. This will …
Evolution in Pap Marketplace Shows Impact of New Guidelines
NEW GUIDELINES for cervical cancer screening issued last year are fueling strong growth in the sales of Digene Corporation’s HPV test. For its fiscal second quarter that ended on December 31, 2004, Digene reported sales of $27.0 million. That’s a 28% increase from Digene’s sal…
RFID, Georgetown University Hospital, HIV Screening Studies, MDS, Duke, HCA, Cigna
PFIZER AND GLAXO-SK TO USE RFID TAGS IN 2005, RFID TEST IN BLOOD BANK RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) is making swift progress in a variety of healthcare applications. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to secure the nation’s drug supply through widespread…
“February 14, 2005 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
There’s a new leader at the Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA). On February 7, 2005, CLMA President Judy Lien announced that the association’s new Chief Executive Officer is Dana Procsal, Ph.D., a veteran laboratory industry executive. Most recently, Procsal was V…
Bi-Annual Look at Trends Reshaping Clinical Labs
CEO SUMMARY: Among other things, we declare the end to the heyday of the independent commercial lab company which offers a broad test menu to all types of office-based physicians. In its place springs forth the specialty or niche testing laboratory. Small and focused on a specific number …
“January 24, 2005 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Blood-alcohol testing in the emergency room can generate surprising results. That was certainly the case in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on December 20, 2004. A 67-year old pedestrian, hit by a car, was taken to the emergency room. Using a breath analyzer, his blood-alcohol level registered at .914! Physicians …
OIG Releases Opinion On AP Lab Condominiums
CEO SUMMARY: In responding to a request for an advisory opinion, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued an advisory opinion which declares that anatomic pathology (AP) lab condominiums “could potentially generate prohibited remuneration under the anti-kickback statute.” It a…
Analysis of OIG’s Opinion Shows Compliance Shift
CEO SUMMARY: Attorney Richard Cooper believes the latest Advisory Opinion by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is consistent with its earlier anti-kickback law pronouncements about situations where a physician is in a position to profit from the patients he/she refers. Cooper also…
More Lab Consolidation: LabCorp Buys US LABS
CEO SUMMARY: Following three years of rapid growth in specimen volume and revenues, US LABS has accepted a purchase offer from Laboratory Corporation of America. Both US LABS’ fast growth and its sale to a national lab demonstrate that there is still opportunity in laboratory testing—…
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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