Denny Shelton - Chairman & CEO, Triad Hospitals

James D. Shelton was formerly Chairman and CEO of Triad Hospitals, Inc. in Plano, Texas.  He founded the company in May 1999 by acquiring a group of hospitals from his former employer, HCA.  Mr. Shelton joined HCA as President of the Central Group in 1994.  Previously, he held various executive positions with National Medical Enterprises including Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President and Regional Vice President.  Mr. Shelton served on the Board of the American Hospital Association from January 2004 through December 2006 and was also a member of the Executive Committee.  Mr. Shelton earned his B.A. in History from Louisiana State University in 1975 and his M.S. in Public Administration from the University of Missouri in 1977.  Triad Hospitals, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, is publicly traded and listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  Currently, through its affiliates, the company owns and manages 53 hospitals and 13 ambulatory surgery centers in 17 states and Ireland, with approximately 9,855 licensed beds.  In addition, through its QHR subsidiary, the company provides hospital management, consulting and advisory services to more than 170 independent community hospitals and health systems throughout the United States.