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
Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos Speaks at AACC To Skeptical PhDs, Pathologists, and Press
CEO SUMMARY: Elizabeth Holmes, Founder and CEO of Theranos, Inc., was given the ideal platform by AACC to show the science behind her lab company’s much-touted diagnostic technologies. But in a surprise to the assembled audience, Holmes, accompanied by three PhDs on her team, chose to d…
August 15, 2016 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News
One of the nation’s largest private pathology group practices completed a successful recapitalization, thus ensuring its independence for another five to seven years. On August 1, PathGroup, Inc., of Nashville, Tenn., announced an investment by Pritzker Group Private Capit…
GE, UPMC Ending Omnyx, Their Digital Pathology Joint Venture
IN RECENT WEEKS, pathology laboratory clients of the Omnyx digital pathology system learned that the joint venture is ending. Company officials tell these customers that their digital pathology systems will continue to receive service. Omnyx was formed in 2008 as a joint venture bet…
July 25, 2016 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News
Throughout the profession of laboratory medicine, concern is surfacing following publication of a proposed rule by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would expand the authority of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to supervise and perform laboratory testing. This …
July 5, 2016 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News
More developments have happened at Theranos, Inc., the beleaguered clinical lab company based in Palo Alto, California. On June 24, Brook Buchanan, Vice President of Communications at Theranos, resigned, giving personal reasons for the decision. Buchanan was hired in November 2015, …
Walgreens Tells Theranos: ‘Lab Deal Is Terminated’
BREAKING NEWS: As this issue of THE DARK REPORT went to press, it was learned that Walgreens had announced the termination of its lab testing agreement with Theranos, effective immediately. Theranos loses access to about 40 Walgreens pharmacies in Phoe…
June 13, 2016 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News
Life insurers are adopting healthcare big data as part of their underwriting process and clinical laboratory test data has an important role. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated participates in this business line. Huffington Post recently published a story on this topic and ident…
May 23, 2016 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News
Patients of Health Diagnostic Laboratories who were tested between 2009 and 2014 are now being dunned by a collection agency! Creditors in the HDL bankruptcy case have engaged a Florida collection agency to go after 9,000 accounts. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, t…
Is Theranos Kowtowing To CMS over Pending CLIA Sanctions?
CEO SUMMARY: Having ignored the profession of laboratory medicine for nearly all of its 13-year corporate life, Theranos suddenly began engaging with expert laboratorians last month. The timing of this new outreach coincides with public disclosure that CMS proposed the severest sanctions …
At Executive War College 2016, Two Big Lab Market Trends
CEO SUMMARY: What happens when 100 lab experts interact with an audience of more than 850 lab administrators, pathologists, and IVD executives from across the United States and seven other nations? A consensus of sorts emerges and during this 2016 edition of the Executive War College on L…
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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