John Peter Smith Hospital is a member of the Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems (COTH). JPS Health Network is committed to improving the health of Tarrant County. JPS has a long history of training health care workers and physicians. Currently, the institution sponsors programs that are accredited through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American Osteopathic Association, (AOA), and the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME).

The Osteopathic Director of Medical Education, Administrative Director of Medical Education, The Director of Research and Scholarly Activity, and the Operations Director of Research and Scholarly Activity report directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who also works with the Senior Vice President and Executive Management Team, and Board of Managers of JPS on decisions related to academic matters throughout the JPS Health Network.

JPS serves as a participating institution for several programs including Baylor General Surgery and University of Texas Southwestern for Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. JPS collaborates in several educational and research activities through its newly formed Tarrant County Universities Consortium. JPS is actively involved in nursing education with students originating from several institutions including Tarrant County College, University of Texas Arlington, and Texas Christian University.

The Department of Academic Affairs is responsible for academic programs and policies across JPS Health Network including graduate medical education, clerkship training for undergraduate medical education, physician assistant training and nursing programs. Nursing program training is supervised by the JPS nursing education program. The department oversees faculty appointments, faculty affairs and promotions, resident and faculty professional development, research and scholarly activities including research compliance, academic planning and program review, academic policy, academic services, budgets, governance, and the institution's library and continuing medical education programs. The Department of Academic Affairs oversees all operations of the Academic Division, providing administrative oversight and academic leadership.

The Department of Academic Affairs commits to developing high quality programs and pursuing innovative teaching models to advance medical education within Tarrant County.