Exhibit 5.1

                     [Letterhead of Dewey Ballantine LLP]

                                                          October 22, 1999

Triad Hospitals Holdings, Inc.
13455 Noel Road, 20th floor
Dallas, TX 75240

  Re: 11% Series B Senior Subordinated Notes due 2009 (the "Exchange Notes")

Ladies and Gentlemen:

    We have acted as counsel for Triad Hospitals Holdings Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the Company's offer to
exchange (the "Exchange Offer") up to $325,000,000 aggregate principal amount
of Exchange Notes which have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Securities Act") for its existing 11% Senior Subordinated
Notes due 2009 (the "Old Notes"), as described in the Prospectus (the
"Prospectus") contained in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (as amended
or supplemented, the "Registration Statement"), to be filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The Old Notes were issued, and the
Exchange Notes are proposed to be issued, under an indenture dated as of May
11, 1999 (the "Indenture"), between the Company and Citibank N.A., as Trustee.
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings
ascribed to them in the Registration Statement.

    In arriving at the opinion expressed below, we have examined originals or
copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such
documents, corporate records, certificates, agreements and other matters as we
have deemed necessary or advisable for the purposes of rendering this opinion.

    In such examination, we have assumed, without independent investigation,
(i) the genuineness of all signatures; (ii) the legal capacity of all
individuals who have executed any of the documents reviewed by us; (iii) the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals; (iv) the
conformity to executed documents of all unexecuted copies submitted to us; and
(v) the authenticity of, and the conformity to, original documents of all
documents submitted to us as certified or photocopied copies. As to certain
factual matters material to our opinion, we have relied upon oral statements,
written information and certificates of officials and representatives of the
Company and others, and we have not independently verified the accuracy of the
statements contained therein.

    Based on the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations,
exceptions and qualifications set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the
Exchange Notes to be offered and issued by the Company have been duly
authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the terms
of the Indenture pursuant to which they will be issued and delivered in
exchange for the applicable Old Notes in accordance with the Exchange Offer,
will be validly issued and constitute binding obligations of the Company,
except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally or by
general equitable principles.

    In rendering the foregoing opinion, our examination of matters of law has
been limited to the laws of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States of America,
as in effect on the date hereof.

    We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
Registration Statement and to the reference made to this firm under the
caption "Legal Matters" in the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not
thereby admit that we are included within the category of persons whose
consent


is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act, or the rules and regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.

    This opinion is rendered solely to you in connection with the above matter.
This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon
by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent.

                                               Very truly yours,

                                                /s/ Dewey Ballantine LLP
                                          _____________________________________
                                                  DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP

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