Byron C. Hepburn, MD, Maj Gen, USAF Ret

Dr. Byron C. Hepburn, Maj Gen, USAF Ret, is Associate Vice President and the inaugural Director of the Military Health Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. In this role, he strengthens the University’s DoD and VA collaborations with the goal of improving the health and well-being of military personnel, veterans and their families through innovative medical research, health education and clinical care. He holds the titles of Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Assistant Dean for Military Health in the School of Medicine and the USAA Patty and Joe Robles, Jr. Distinguished Chair for Military Health.

Dr. Hepburn has a distinguished military career spanning 38 years. He served as the inaugural Director of the San Antonio Military Health System (SAMHS). In addition, he was Commander of the 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint Base San Antonio- Lackland, the Air Force’s largest medical wing composed of 6,000 military, civilian, contract employees, residents and students. Previously, he served as Deputy Surgeon General of the Air Force, where he directed all operations of the Air Force Medical Service, a $5.1 billion, 43,000- person integrated health care delivery system serving 2.4 million beneficiaries at 75 military treatment facilities worldwide.

Dr. Hepburn is a distinguished graduate of the U.S Air Force Academy and earned a Master of Arts degree in European Studies for his work at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He also graduated from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences School of Medicine and completed a residency in family practice. He was one of only 15 Air Force pilot-physicians and was a command pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours on the T-37, T-38, C-9A and C-17A aircraft. Dr. Hepburn is an honored recipient of the Mackay Trophy for his participation in the USS Cole medical evacuation mission, and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2001 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.