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.
Former FDA Director to Speak at Executive War College on FDA’s Coming Regulation of Laboratory Developed Tests
Tim Stenzel, MD, PhD, will discuss what clinical laboratories need to know about the draft LDT rule, FDA memo on assay reclassification, and ISO-13485 harmonization Many clinical laboratories anxiously await a final rule from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)...
Swiss Research Study into Long COVID Promises New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Possibilities
New biomarker may lead to new clinical laboratory testing and treatments for long COVID Researchers studying long COVID at the University Hospital of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), both in Switzerland, have discovered a protein biomarker...
Scientists at UT Health San Antonio Discover New Biomarker for Diabetic Kidney Disease
Biomarker may lead to clinical laboratory testing that enables clinical pathologists and urologists to diagnose risk for diabetic kidney failure years before it occurs Clinical laboratories working with nephrologists and urologists to diagnose patients experiencing...
Rice University Researchers Develop ‘Molecular Jackhammer’ That Kills Cancer Cells
Research could lead to similar treatments for other diseases, as well as creating a demand for a new line of oncology tests for clinical labs and pathology groups Cancer treatment has come a long way in the past decades, and it seems poised to take another leap...
Private Equity Firm General Catalyst to Buy Integrated Delivery Network Summa Health as Testing Ground for New Venture
Switching from non-profit to for-profit may affect how clinical laboratories operate in the new healthcare system Shifting away from fee-for-service payment models and towards value-based healthcare is the goal of many non-profit hospital systems. One such...
San Diego University Researchers Believe Bacteriophages May Be the Future of Eradicating Multi-Drug Resistant Superbugs
Clinical laboratories and microbiologists may soon have new powerful tools for fighting antimicrobial resistant bacteria that saves lives Superbugs—microbes that have developed multidrug resistance—continue to cause problems for clinical laboratories and hospital...
Perfect Storm of Clinical Lab and Pathology Practice Regulatory Changes to Be Featured in Discussions at 29th Annual Executive War College
Forces in play will directly impact the operations and financial stability of many of the nation’s clinical laboratories With significant regulatory changes expected in the next 18 to 24 months, experts are predicting a “Perfect Storm” for managers of clinical...
Increased Testing Demands from Physicians is Putting New Zealand Clinical Laboratories Under Severe Stress
Following the loss of its histology accreditation, pressure on APS laboratory continues to mount Government-run healthcare systems around the world often under-invest as demand grows and new healthcare technologies enter clinical practice. One such example is taking...
AXIM Biotechnologies Develops Diagnostic Test for Parkinson’s Disease That Uses Tear Drop Specimens and Returns Results in Less than 10 Minutes at the Point of Care
New non-invasive test could replace traditional painful spinal taps and clinical laboratory fluid analysis for diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease Scientists at AXIM Biotechnologies of San Diego have added another specimen that can be collected non-invasively for rapid,...
Scientists Close in on Elusive Goal of Adapting Nanopore Technology for Protein Sequencing
Technology could enable medical laboratories to deploy inexpensive protein sequencing with a handheld device at point of care and remote locations Clinical laboratories engaged in protein testing will be interested in several recent studies that suggest scientists may...