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.
Jim Whitehurst
National Sales Director
Jim Whitehurst joins The Dark Intelligence Group as a Senior Sales Executive. Jim Brings with him over 25 years of experience in the laboratory industry, selling highly-complex laboratory, revenue cycle, document imaging, web portal and connectivity solutions to both commercial and outreach laboratory marketplaces. Prior to TDIG Jim was the the Director of Sales at tevixMD and was responsible for all sales, marketing and business development activities. Prior to tevixMD Jim worked as Vice President of Sales at ASPYRA LLC where he was he is responsible for all sales and new business development activities. Prior to ASPYRA, Whitehurst worked as VP of Sales for Halfpenny Technologies selling connectivity, web portal and mobile reporting solutions for laboratory service providers.
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.
Measles Cases in the US, Europe, and Other Countries are Increasing, Slowing Progress on Efforts to Eliminate the Disease
Clinical laboratory managers should prepare for an increase in demand for measles testing, especially for children Clinical laboratory managers should be on the alert for new cases of measles. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a...
Pennsylvania’s WellSpan Health Announces New Medical Drone Delivery Service
Drone company Zipline delivers medical supplies and clinical laboratory specimens on four continents and is used in the US by several major healthcare networks and retail organizations Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, continue to...
CVS Health is Changing the Way it Prices Prescription Drugs Using a New Cost-Plus Model
New ‘simple’ pricing scheme will provide transparency and value to all stakeholders, says company’s Chief Pharmacy Officer Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) is planning to scrap what it says is an old-school prescription reimbursement model and turn to a...
American Cancer Society Annual Report Shows Cervical Cancer Rate Increasing, but Only among 30- to 40-Year-Olds
Lack of regular clinical laboratory screenings in this age group at least partially to blame, researchers say While cervical cancer rates have seen a 50-year decline overall, that trend is shifting among 30- to 40 year-olds who have experienced a near 2% increase from...
Boston Children’s Hospital Hires a Prompt Engineer to Help the Healthcare Organization Deploy and Use Artificial Intelligence Applications
This may be a new ‘sign of the times’ as hospitals, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers working with AI find they also need to hire their own prompt engineers Boston Children’s Hospital last year hired a “prompt engineer” to propel the hospital...
Wiley Launches Paper Mill Detection Tool after Losing Millions Due to Fraudulent Journal Submissions
Groups representing academic publishers are taking steps to combat paper mills that write the papers and then sell authorship spots Clinical laboratory professionals rely on peer-reviewed research to keep up with the latest findings in pathology, laboratory medicine,...
Laboratory Leaders at 2024 Annual Executive War College Discuss Critical Challenges Facing Clinical Laboratory and Pathology Managers for 2024 and Beyond
Trifecta of forces at work that will affect the clinical laboratory and pathology industries have been described as a ‘perfect storm’ requiring lab and practice managers to be well informed Digital pathology, artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, and the perfect...
Big Industry Changes in Focus at the Annual Executive War College
FDA announces final rule on Lab-Developed Tests LDTs) as Clinical Lab Leaders Meet in New Orleans Regulatory changes were the talk of the 29th Annual Executive War College, with attendees buzzing about Monday’s US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement that...
From Regulations to Innovations: Annual Executive War College Convenes in New Orleans
29th Conference Features Information on What Clinical Lab Leaders Need to Know About a 'Perfect Storm' of New Compliance Challenges There are signs that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is poised to release the final rule on laboratory developed tests...
Pet Owner Sends Her Own Cheek Swab Samples to a Pet DNA Testing Laboratory and Gets a Report That She is Part Border Collie and Bulldog
In a follow-up story, investigative news team in Boston sends a reporter’s cheek swab sample to the same pet DNA testing lab: report states the reporter is part Malamute, Shar Pei, and Labrador Retriever One pet DNA testing company returned results from human cheek...