The Dark Intelligence Group Team
Robert L. Michel
President & Editor in Chief
Deborah Lucas Michel, RN
Vice President
Deborah Lucas Michel RN is the Vice President for the Dark Intelligence Group based in Spicewood, Texas since 2000. She is responsible for Audio Conferences, Human Resources, Contract Monitoring, and financial oversight. She has a nursing degree and a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from USC. Nurse Debbie is a psychiatric nurse with expertise in Quality Management, Program Development, and Case Management. When not working, she does volunteer work for community based services, trains Engel, enjoys sailing, and dancing. She can be reached at djlucas@darkreport.com or directly at 512-264-7103.
Robert Croce
Executive Publisher/General Manager
Email: bcroce@darkreport.com
Phone: (512) 264-7103
After almost 18 years as an executive in B2B publishing, Bob joined The Dark Intelligence Group in September 2018 to run daily operations and assist founder Robert Michel with a plan for future growth. Bob’s stops as a publishing company leader include health care information and training companies HCPro and Carlat Publishing, and Wellesley Information Services in the IT space. While at HCPro as Group Publisher, Bob was a part of a management team that helped that company through 10 years of super growth, leading to two private equity recapitalizations. A Boston area native, and graduate of Northeastern University, Bob splits his work time between our Spicewood, TX, main office, and his home office in the Boston area, where he lives with wife Maureen and their two “cheagle” puppies named Sully and Murphy.
Ron Rohrer
Phone: (317) 446-0225
Ron has more than 25 years of sales leadership experience excelling in the microbiology/infectious disease market. He has successfully pioneered multiple novel technology launches.
Ron is a forerunner in cultivating and capturing new standards for diagnostic medicine. He introduced and grew the following: First generation molecular with Gen-Probe, First generation MRSA and CDIFF PCR testing with GeneOhm Sciences, Multiplex PCR launch with Biofire Dx, Mass Spectrometry at Bruker, and Host Immune Response technology.
Ron is a graduate of the University of Dayton. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Lisa. Together they have raised three children and celebrate eight grandchildren. Ron enjoys coaching sports, Indy cars, biking, boating and camping.
Michael McBride
Managing Editor
Email: michael@mcbrideimedia.com
Phone: (616) 502-0850
Michael McBride is Managing Editor of Dark Daily and The Dark Report. He has been writing/editing magazine and website content on clinical laboratory medicine, pathology, healthcare information technology, and related topics for three decades. He also has edited 12 fiction novels for various authors. Michael is former Editor-in-Chief of Health Management Technology magazine, Technology Editor for Medical Economics magazine, and Editorial Director for Pandamoon Publishing.
Amanda Curtis
Manager of Marketing & Operations
Phone: (512) 264-7103
Amanda has over 20 years experience working in executive supporting/accounting roles. She has been an executive office manager, retirement plan administrator, and bookkeeper. Amanda lives near The Dark Report headquarters in Spicewood, TX with her husband and twin sons. She also has a grown daughter who lives in Dallas. Amanda is also a certified personal trainer, part-time wedding coordinator and venue manager.
Private Equity Firm Acquires Parent Company of Walgreens and Duane Reade
New owner plans to take the pharmacy company private as it continues to shutter retail locations Last year, Walgreens announced plans to close a large number of its stores “due to financial difficulties and ongoing environmental pressures,” according to Becker’s...
Executive War College Will Focus on Three Forces Influencing Clinical Laboratory Success
Lab professionals will learn more at the upcoming 30th annual edition of the event Big changes and challenges are coming for the clinical laboratory anatomic pathology industry, and with them a slew of opportunities for lab and pathology practice leaders. At the...
Who Has Responsibility for Clinical Laboratory Regulations? Bench Staff and Managers Diverge
However, effective communication can bring more harmony to medical lab managers and scientists when it comes to compliance Depending on how lab professionals view it, clinical laboratory regulations can be characterized as a series of checklists to fill out or an...
ACLA Campaign Aims to Sway Lawmakers to Prevent Medicare Reimbursement Cuts
The trade association is publicly promoting the benefits of biomarker testing and AI’s benefits to diagnostics One of the core tenets to getting federal lawmaker support for business is to tell them what an industry does. In that vein, the American Clinical Laboratory...
Yale University Scientists Use Bar Code Technology for More Accurate Cancer Diagnoses
With more study, the technique could lead to new precision medicine pathology diagnostics and clinical laboratory tests Researchers at Yale University have devised a new pathology tool that utilizes barcode technology to map the spatial relationships of ribonucleic...
Three Possible Scenarios for LDT Regulation after Historic Court Decision Vacates FDA Final Rule
Clinical laboratories should closely watch the Trump administration as it contemplates a court appeal, a revised LDT rulemaking, or abandoning the rule altogether With a US District Court judge’s decision to vacate the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) rule on...
KFF Report: Insurers on Federal Health Exchange Denied 19% of In-Network Claims
Disclosures, mandated by the Affordable Care Act, provide a limited snapshot of claim denials Claim denials have created financial headaches for virtually all healthcare providers, including clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups. Reliable data about...
Labcorp-acquired Providence Portland Hospital Clinical Laboratory Staff Vote to Unionize
Move comes two-years post-acquisition and is the second such unionization of Labcorp hospital lab workers In February, clinical laboratory staff at Providence Portland Hospital in Oregon landed a 77% vote to unionize, with its 114 members joining the Oregon Federation...
Genetic Data Privacy Becomes a Hot Topic after 23andMe Announces Bankruptcy Plans
Clinical laboratories should use this situation as an opportunity to ask questions about their own data privacy approaches While the drama surrounding 23andMe’s bankruptcy announcement has taken the spotlight—cofounder Anne Wojcicki resigned as CEO so that she can...
LabX Media Group Acquires Dark Daily, The Dark Report, and Executive War College
Dark Daily will join an established family of laboratory resources that will provide in-depth information for clinical laboratory professionals In a move that opens strong opportunities to grow its audience of clinical laboratory professionals, LabX Media Group has...