With Steve Jobs ’s consent, the Memphis hospital that conducted his liver transplant two months ago issued a statement denying he received any special treatment, classifying him as “the sickest person on the waiting list.” Presumably in response to the New York Times ‘ speculation that Jobs’ wealth and influence helped him secure a liver sooner than he might otherwise have, the Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee issued a statement with Jobs’s consent that denied any such thing happened. “He received a liver transplant because he was the patient with the highest MELD score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) of his blood type and, therefore, the sickest patient on the waiting list at the time a donor organ became available,” the hospital said. In addition, Tennessee has a much smaller waiting list than a larger state, like California, which also expedited the process. The statement does not go into any more detail on the subject, citing a respect for Jobs’s privacy, but does note that Jobs is “recovering well and has an excellent prognosis.” So that should put any ugly speculation to rest.

original Source : Hospital Confirms Steve Jobs’s Transplant, Denies He Received Preferential Treatment [Steve Jobs]