<PAGE>
 
            As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 11, 1999
                                                   Registration Number 333-_____


                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            Washington, D.C. 20549



                                   FORM S-8

                         REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER

                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                        


                             Triad Hospitals, Inc.
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


     Delaware                                         75-2816101
(State or other jurisdiction of         (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
incorporation or organization)

13455 Noel Road, 20th Floor
   Dallas, Texas                                                       75240
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                             (Zip Code)


              Triad Hospitals, Inc. 1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan

                           (Full Title of the Plan)

                              Donald P. Fay, Esq.
                           Executive Vice President,
                         General Counsel and Secretary
                             Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                          13455 Noel Road, 20th Floor
                              Dallas, Texas 75240
                                (972) 789-2732
           (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

                            ----------------------
                                  Copies to:
                            Aileen C. Meehan, Esq.
                             Dewey Ballantine LLP
                          1301 Avenue of the Americas
                         New York, New York 10019-6092
                                (212) 259-8000

                            ----------------------
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

=====================================================================================================================

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 
    Title Of Each           Amount To Be          Proposed Maximum        Proposed Maximum           Amount Of
 Class of Securities       Registered(1)         Offering Price Per      Aggregate Offering       Registration Fee
  To Be Registered                                    Unit (2)               Price (2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
<S>                    <C>                     <C>                     <C>                     <C>
Common Stock,                       5,350,000           $   9.4375           $ 50,490,625            $ 14,036.39
par value $.01 per
 share (3)
=====================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)  This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of
     Common Stock which become issuable under the Triad Hospitals, Inc. 1999
     Long-Term Incentive Plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split,
     recapitalization, merger, consolidation or reorganization of or by the
     Registrant which results in an increase in the number of the Registrant's
     outstanding shares of Common Stock or shares issuable pursuant to awards
     granted under the plan.

(2)  Estimated for the sole purpose of computing the registration fee.  Pursuant
     to Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum
     offering price per unit is calculated as the average of the high and low
     selling prices, as reported on the Nasdaq National Market, of the common
     stock of the registrant on May 7, 1999. 

(3)  Includes Preferred Stock Purchase Rights which, prior to the occurrence of
     certain events, will not be exercisable or evidenced separately from the
     Common Stock.

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

          The following document filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission by Triad Hospitals, Inc. ("Triad") (File No. 0-29818) is incorporated
herein by reference and made a part hereof:

     Triad's Registration Statement on Form 10, as amended, filed pursuant to
     Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
     "Exchange Act"), including the description of the common stock and
     associated preferred stock purchase rights of Triad contained in such
     Registration Statement on Form 10; such description is qualified in its
     entirety by reference to the (i) Certificate of Incorporation of Triad and
     (ii) By-Laws of Triad, filed as Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, to this
     Registration Statement, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose
     of updating that description.

          All documents filed by Triad pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and
15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of this Registration Statement
and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

          The combined financial statements of Triad Hospitals, Inc. and its
subsidiaries at December 31, 1998 and 1997 and for each of the three years in
the period ended December 31, 1998, appearing in Triad's Registration Statement
on Form 10, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, as set
forth in their report thereon included therein and incorporated herein by
reference. Such combined financial statements are incorporated herein by
reference in reliance upon such report on the authority of such firm as experts
in accounting and auditing.

ITEM 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not Applicable.

ITEM 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not Applicable.

ITEM 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Triad is a Delaware corporation.  Reference is made to Section 145 of
the Delaware General Corporation Law as to indemnification by Triad of its
officers and directors.  The general effect of such law is to empower a
corporation to indemnify any of its officers and directors against certain
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person to be 

                                     II-1
<PAGE>
 
indemnified in connection with certain actions, suits or proceedings
(threatened, pending or completed) if the person to be indemnified acted in good
faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to,
the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action
or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was
unlawful.

          Article Fourteenth of Triad's Certificate of Incorporation (which
Certificate of Incorporation is incorporated by reference as Exhibit 3.1 to this
Registration Statement), provides for the indemnification of Triad's officers
and directors in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law.  Article
Twelfth of Triad's Certificate of Incorporation includes, as permitted by the
Delaware General Corporation Law, certain limitations on the potential personal
liability of members of Triad's Board of Directors for monetary damages as a
result of actions taken in their capacity as Board members.

          The directors and officers of Triad are covered by insurance policies
indemnifying them against certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act,
which might be incurred by them in such capacities.

ITEM 7.            Exemption from Registration Claimed.

                   Not applicable.

ITEM 8.            Exhibits.

                   The documents listed hereunder are filed as exhibits hereto.

Exhibit Number            Description
--------------            -----------              
    3.1                   Certificate of Incorporation of Triad,
                          as filed with the Secretary of State of
                          the State of Delaware on April 27, 1999.

    3.2                   By-Laws of Triad.

    4.1                   Form of Specimen Certificate for Triad
                          Hospitals, Inc. common stock, filed as
                          exhibit 4.1 to Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                          Registration Statement on Form 10 under
                          the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
                          amended, is incorporated herein by
                          reference.

    4.2                   Form of Rights Agreement between Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                          and National City Bank, as rights agent, filed as
                          exhibit 4.2 to Triad Hospitals, Inc. Registration
                          Statement on Form 10 under the Securities Exchange Act
                          of 1934, as amended, is incorporated herein by
                          reference.


      5                   Opinion and Consent of Dewey Ballantine LLP.

   23.1                   Consent of Dewey Ballantine LLP (included in Exhibit 5
                          hereto).

   23.2                   Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

                                     II-2
<PAGE>
 
Exhibit Number            Description
--------------            -----------              


     99                   Form of Triad Hospitals, Inc. 1999 Long-Term Incentive
                          Plan, filed as exhibit 10.8 to Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                          Registration Statement on Form 10 under the Securities
                          Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is incorporated
                          herein by reference. 

  ITEM 9.  Undertakings.

     (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

             (i)  to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
     Securities Act of 1933;

             (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
     the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-
     effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
     represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the
     Registration Statement; and

             (iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan
     of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or
     any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement.

        (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

        (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

     (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered 

                                     II-3
<PAGE>
 
herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.

                                     II-4
<PAGE>
 
                                  SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Dallas, State of Texas, as of the 10th day of May
1999.

                              TRIAD HOSPITALS, INC.

                              By: /s/ James D. Shelton
                                 ------------------------
                                      James D. Shelton
                                 Chief Executive Officer


          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

Date:  May 10, 1999                              By: /s/ R. Milton Johnson
                                                    ------------------------
                                                 R. Milton Johnson
                                                 Director

Date:  May 10, 1999                              By: /s/ Bruce A. Moore
                                                    ------------------------
                                                 Bruce A. Moore
                                                 Director

Date:  May 10, 1999                              By: /s/ John M. Franck II
                                                    ------------------------
                                                 John M. Franck II
                                                 Director

Date:  May 10, 1999                              By: /s/ James D. Shelton
                                                    ------------------------
                                                 James D. Shelton
                                                 Chief Executive Officer
                                                 (Principal executive officer,
                                                  principal financial officer
                                               and principal accounting officer)
<PAGE>
 
                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit Number                      Description
---------------                     -----------

    3.1                             Certificate of Incorporation of Triad, as
                                    filed with the Secretary of State of the
                                    State of Delaware on April 27, 1999.

    3.2                             By-Laws of Triad.

    4.1                             Form of Specimen Certificate for Triad
                                    Hospitals, Inc. common stock, filed as
                                    exhibit 4.1 to Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                                    Registration Statement on Form 10 under the
                                    Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
                                    amended, is incorporated herein by
                                    reference.

    4.2                             Form of Rights Agreement between Triad
                                    Hospitals, Inc. and National City Bank, as
                                    rights agent, filed as exhibit 4.2 to Triad
                                    Hospitals, Inc. Registration Statement on
                                    Form 10 under the Securities Exchange Act
                                    of 1934, as amended, is incorporated herein
                                    by reference.

      5                             Opinion and Consent of Dewey Ballantine
                                    LLP.

   23.1                             Consent of Dewey Ballantine LLP (included
                                    in Exhibit 5 hereto).

   23.2                             Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.


   99                               Form of Triad Hospitals, Inc. 1999 Long-
                                    Term Incentive Plan, filed as exhibit 10.8
                                    to Triad Hospitals, Inc. Registration
                                    Statement on Form 10 under the Securities
                                    Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is
                                    incorporated herein by reference.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 18351}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "TRIAD HOSPITALS INC", "cik": "0001074771", "assigned-sic": "6324", "irs-number": "752816101", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-78189", "film-number": "99616438"}, "business-address": {"street1": "13455 NOCI RD", "street2": "20TH FL", "city": "DALLAS", "state": "TX", "zip": "75240", "phone": "9727892732"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "13455 NOCI RD", "street2": "20TH FL", "city": "DALLAS", "state": "TX", "zip": "75240"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "TRIAD HOSPITALS LLC", "date-changed": "19981207"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 11, 1999
                                                   Registration Number 333-_____

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM S-8

                         REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER

                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                        

                             Triad Hospitals, Inc.
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

     Delaware                                         75-2816101
(State or other jurisdiction of         (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
incorporation or organization)

13455 Noel Road, 20th Floor
   Dallas, Texas                                                       75240
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                             (Zip Code)

              Triad Hospitals, Inc. 1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan

                           (Full Title of the Plan)

                              Donald P. Fay, Esq.
                           Executive Vice President,
                         General Counsel and Secretary
                             Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                          13455 Noel Road, 20th Floor
                              Dallas, Texas 75240
                                (972) 789-2732
           (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

                            ----------------------
                                  Copies to:
                            Aileen C. Meehan, Esq.
                             Dewey Ballantine LLP
                          1301 Avenue of the Americas
                         New York, New York 10019-6092
                                (212) 259-8000

                            ----------------------
=====================================================================================================================

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 
    Title Of Each           Amount To Be          Proposed Maximum        Proposed Maximum           Amount Of
 Class of Securities       Registered(1)         Offering Price Per      Aggregate Offering       Registration Fee
  To Be Registered                                    Unit (2)               Price (2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,                       5,350,000           $   9.4375           $ 50,490,625            $ 14,036.39
par value $.01 per
 share (3)
=====================================================================================================================
(1)  This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of
     Common Stock which become issuable under the Triad Hospitals, Inc. 1999
     Long-Term Incentive Plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split,
     recapitalization, merger, consolidation or reorganization of or by the
     Registrant which results in an increase in the number of the Registrant's
     outstanding shares of Common Stock or shares issuable pursuant to awards
     granted under the plan.

(2)  Estimated for the sole purpose of computing the registration fee.  Pursuant
     to Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum
     offering price per unit is calculated as the average of the high and low
     selling prices, as reported on the Nasdaq National Market, of the common
     stock of the registrant on May 7, 1999. 

(3)  Includes Preferred Stock Purchase Rights which, prior to the occurrence of
     certain events, will not be exercisable or evidenced separately from the
     Common Stock.

                                       2
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

          The following document filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission by Triad Hospitals, Inc. ("Triad") (File No. 0-29818) is incorporated
herein by reference and made a part hereof:

     Triad's Registration Statement on Form 10, as amended, filed pursuant to
     Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
     "Exchange Act"), including the description of the common stock and
     associated preferred stock purchase rights of Triad contained in such
     Registration Statement on Form 10; such description is qualified in its
     entirety by reference to the (i) Certificate of Incorporation of Triad and
     (ii) By-Laws of Triad, filed as Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, to this
     Registration Statement, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose
     of updating that description.

          All documents filed by Triad pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and
15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of this Registration Statement
and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

          The combined financial statements of Triad Hospitals, Inc. and its
subsidiaries at December 31, 1998 and 1997 and for each of the three years in
the period ended December 31, 1998, appearing in Triad's Registration Statement
on Form 10, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, as set
forth in their report thereon included therein and incorporated herein by
reference. Such combined financial statements are incorporated herein by
reference in reliance upon such report on the authority of such firm as experts
in accounting and auditing.

ITEM 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not Applicable.

ITEM 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not Applicable.

ITEM 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Triad is a Delaware corporation.  Reference is made to Section 145 of
the Delaware General Corporation Law as to indemnification by Triad of its
officers and directors.  The general effect of such law is to empower a
corporation to indemnify any of its officers and directors against certain
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person to be 

                                     II-1
indemnified in connection with certain actions, suits or proceedings
(threatened, pending or completed) if the person to be indemnified acted in good
faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to,
the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action
or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was
unlawful.

          Article Fourteenth of Triad's Certificate of Incorporation (which
Certificate of Incorporation is incorporated by reference as Exhibit 3.1 to this
Registration Statement), provides for the indemnification of Triad's officers
and directors in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law.  Article
Twelfth of Triad's Certificate of Incorporation includes, as permitted by the
Delaware General Corporation Law, certain limitations on the potential personal
liability of members of Triad's Board of Directors for monetary damages as a
result of actions taken in their capacity as Board members.

          The directors and officers of Triad are covered by insurance policies
indemnifying them against certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act,
which might be incurred by them in such capacities.

ITEM 7.            Exemption from Registration Claimed.

                   Not applicable.

ITEM 8.            Exhibits.

                   The documents listed hereunder are filed as exhibits hereto.

Exhibit Number            Description
--------------            -----------              
    3.1                   Certificate of Incorporation of Triad,
                          as filed with the Secretary of State of
                          the State of Delaware on April 27, 1999.

    3.2                   By-Laws of Triad.

    4.1                   Form of Specimen Certificate for Triad
                          Hospitals, Inc. common stock, filed as
                          exhibit 4.1 to Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                          Registration Statement on Form 10 under
                          the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
                          amended, is incorporated herein by
                          reference.

    4.2                   Form of Rights Agreement between Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                          and National City Bank, as rights agent, filed as
                          exhibit 4.2 to Triad Hospitals, Inc. Registration
                          Statement on Form 10 under the Securities Exchange Act
                          of 1934, as amended, is incorporated herein by
                          reference.

      5                   Opinion and Consent of Dewey Ballantine LLP.

   23.1                   Consent of Dewey Ballantine LLP (included in Exhibit 5
                          hereto).

   23.2                   Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

                                     II-2
Exhibit Number            Description
--------------            -----------              

     99                   Form of Triad Hospitals, Inc. 1999 Long-Term Incentive
                          Plan, filed as exhibit 10.8 to Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                          Registration Statement on Form 10 under the Securities
                          Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is incorporated
                          herein by reference. 

  ITEM 9.  Undertakings.

     (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

             (i)  to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
     Securities Act of 1933;

             (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
     the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-
     effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
     represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the
     Registration Statement; and

             (iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan
     of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or
     any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement.

        (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

        (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

     (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered 

                                     II-3
herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.

                                     II-4
SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Dallas, State of Texas, as of the 10th day of May
1999.

                              TRIAD HOSPITALS, INC.

                              By: /s/ James D. Shelton
                                 ------------------------
                                      James D. Shelton
                                 Chief Executive Officer

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

Date:  May 10, 1999                              By: /s/ R. Milton Johnson
                                                    ------------------------
                                                 R. Milton Johnson
                                                 Director

Date:  May 10, 1999                              By: /s/ Bruce A. Moore
                                                    ------------------------
                                                 Bruce A. Moore
                                                 Director

Date:  May 10, 1999                              By: /s/ John M. Franck II
                                                    ------------------------
                                                 John M. Franck II
                                                 Director

Date:  May 10, 1999                              By: /s/ James D. Shelton
                                                    ------------------------
                                                 James D. Shelton
                                                 Chief Executive Officer
                                                 (Principal executive officer,
                                                  principal financial officer
                                               and principal accounting officer)
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit Number                      Description
---------------                     -----------

    3.1                             Certificate of Incorporation of Triad, as
                                    filed with the Secretary of State of the
                                    State of Delaware on April 27, 1999.

    3.2                             By-Laws of Triad.

    4.1                             Form of Specimen Certificate for Triad
                                    Hospitals, Inc. common stock, filed as
                                    exhibit 4.1 to Triad Hospitals, Inc.
                                    Registration Statement on Form 10 under the
                                    Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
                                    amended, is incorporated herein by
                                    reference.

    4.2                             Form of Rights Agreement between Triad
                                    Hospitals, Inc. and National City Bank, as
                                    rights agent, filed as exhibit 4.2 to Triad
                                    Hospitals, Inc. Registration Statement on
                                    Form 10 under the Securities Exchange Act
                                    of 1934, as amended, is incorporated herein
                                    by reference.

      5                             Opinion and Consent of Dewey Ballantine
                                    LLP.

   23.1                             Consent of Dewey Ballantine LLP (included
                                    in Exhibit 5 hereto).

   23.2                             Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

   99                               Form of Triad Hospitals, Inc. 1999 Long-
                                    Term Incentive Plan, filed as exhibit 10.8
                                    to Triad Hospitals, Inc. Registration
                                    Statement on Form 10 under the Securities
                                    Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is
                                    incorporated herein by reference.