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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1



                                  July 31, 2001

Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

                  Re:      LifePoint Hospitals, Inc.
                           Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  We have acted as counsel to LifePoint Hospitals, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the preparation of a
registration statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") to be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to 560,975 shares of Common
Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company (the "Shares") issued under the LifePoint
Hospitals, Inc. Executive Stock Purchase Plan.

                  In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied
upon such records, documents and other instruments as in our judgment are
necessary and appropriate in order to express the opinions hereinafter set forth
and have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to original documents
of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies. We express
no opinion as to the law of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State
of Tennessee and the corporate laws of the State of Delaware.

                  Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the
Shares have been duly authorized, and are validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.

                  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit
to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit
that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under
Section 7 of the Act, or under the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission.

                                      Very truly yours,

                                      /s/ Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis,
                                      A Professional Limited Liability Company