New Jersey reviewing autopsies by former state pathologist

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office has advised South Jersey prosecutors to review all autopsies conducted by a former state pathologist who had been barred from practicing medicine in several other states. Hisham Hashish, 52, started work as an assistant medical examiner for South Jersey less than two months after he surrendered his medical license in New Mexico in 2011.

The New Mexico Medical Board barred Hashish from doing autopsies and practicing medicine there based on allegations of negligence and failure to report adverse action taken on his clinical privileges, according to records reviewed by The Philadelphia Inquirer. After New Mexico's action, states including Nebraska, Michigan, and New York also took measures to revoke Hashish's privileges, according to public records. New Jersey authorities did not learn about a problem with Hashish's credentials until this year, said Paul Loriquet, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, which oversees the state's medical examiners.

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer