About Guardian TacMed

 A Highly- skilled, passionate, bi-lingual, board-certified critical care paramedic. Deeply committed to providing exceptional leadership and instruction to students in a multitude of settings. He currently serves the city of Uvalde, Texas as a flight paramedic with San Antonio Airlife and served our country as an active duty 68WF2 flight paramedic in the U.S. Army. Unable to stray from his roots, he is now serving the State of Texas as a 68WF2 flight paramedic for Alamo DUSTOFF in the National Guard and holds 5 additional certifications for career progression (3 of which are at an instructor level). Prior to being rehired by Air life, he served as the lead instructor for Tactical Element at the Army’s critical care flight paramedic program (CCFPP Branch). Praised by staff and leaders as a technical expert and valuable resource to all members of the Aeromedical healthcare community, Julio has now gone on to establish himself in the small business community, offering holistic healthcare with his newest venture being in education. 

Chief, Trauma Anesthesiology

Professor

Departments of Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine

UTHealth | McGovern Medical School

Medical Director, Community Volunteer Fire Department

Medical Director, Sugar Land Fire Department

Director, Memorial Hermann Life Flight Advanced Airway Training

MAJ, MC, USARNG 36th CAB Flight Surgeon

After serving as a paramedic for several years in Houston, Texas, Dr. Stephens graduated from The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Medicine. Upon finishing his Anesthesiology residency at UTMB, he completed a Trauma Anesthesiology Fellowship at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he later joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology. Dr. Stephens was the director of advanced airway training for the Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper Flight Paramedics and served as a flight physician with oversight of their RSI program. He then moved back to his home state of Texas to join the faculty at UT Houston McGovern Medical School as an Associate Professor, where he was appointed director of Memorial Hermann Life Flight RSI training for air crew members. While at UT McGovern, he completed an Emergency Medical Services Fellowship in the Department of Emergency Medicine and is the medical director for two Houston area fire departments. Dr. Stephens is currently a Professor of Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine at UT Houston, Chief of Trauma Anesthesiology, Fellowship Program Director, and board certified in Anesthesiology and Emergency Medical Services. In addition, he serves as an officer in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. and is the Flight Surgeon for the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade.

Dr. Stephens is a national trauma resuscitation and airway management expert, with over 25 years of pre-hospital and trauma experience. He is also a Professor of Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine, with numerous publications regarding airway and resuscitation medicine. He is the founder and Chair of the Critical Care Airway Task-Force (CCAT-F) Committee for the National Association of EMS Physicians. In addition, he is the founding Chair of the EMS Committee for the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists and is actively involved with the Committee on Trauma and Emergency Preparedness for the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Stephens was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Medical Services in 2021.