22nd annual International Street Medicine Symposium

September 27 - 30, 2026
Halifax Convention Centre  •  Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Register for ISMS
The Street Medicine Institute is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 22nd annual International Street Medicine Symposium! The symposium will be held September 27 – 30, 2026 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We are grateful to our local co-host North End Community Health Centre for helping to organize this symposium.

The International Street Medicine Symposium (ISMS) is the world’s premier educational event dedicated to the health care of rough-sleeper and unsheltered homeless populations. Each year, ISMS offers an impressive slate of homeless health care experts from around the globe presenting clinical topics, innovations, research outcomes, and best practices relevant to street medicine through the popular format mix of large-group lectures, interactive small-group presentations and workshops, and poster presentations. All people working in the area of health and homelessness are invited, and we encourage and celebrate the diversity of lived expertise and professional roles represented among participants.

Quick Links

Host City Welcome | Registration | Street Medicine 101 | Continuing Education | Schedule | Venue | Travel | Lodging

Host City Welcome

North End Community Health Centre (NECHC) is pleased to host the 2026 International Street Medicine Symposium in Halifax! NECHC is a community-governed health centre that has provided integrated, community-driven care in Halifax for more than 50 years. We operate as an independent, not-for-profit organization delivering primary health care, street-based services, and supportive housing to people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and structural inequities. While we collaborate closely with hospitals, government, and community partners, our governance and model of care remain firmly rooted in community accountability.

Operating in Halifax and across Mi’kma’ki, NECHC navigates complex challenges related to rising homelessness, deepening poverty, housing shortages, and systemic inequities that disproportionately impact Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, 2LGBTQ++ and other marginalized communities. Our work is shaped by these realities, alongside fragmented funding structures, jurisdictional responsibilities, and evolving health and social policy environments.

NECHC has grown from a small primary care clinic into a multidisciplinary organization of more than 220 staff, providing care across clinical services, street outreach, and 16 supportive housing sites that permanently house and support over 200 individuals. Our teams include physicians, nurses, outreach workers, peer support staff, social workers, housing support workers, and allied health professionals. We provide primary care, street-based health services, harm reduction, mental health supports, dental care, case management, and supportive housing—recognizing housing as a critical health intervention.

We are honoured to welcome street medicine practitioners, researchers, advocates, and people with lived experience from around the world to Halifax, and we look forward to sharing our integrated health and housing model, our partnerships, and the lessons learned from delivering care on the streets and in supportive housing.

— Marie-France LeBlanc, CEO, North End Community Health Centre

Registration Information 

SMI's Inclusive Registration Rates

The street medicine community includes individuals and organizations of all types, sizes, and budgets and we want all of you to be able to participate in the 22nd annual International Street Medicine Symposium. The Street Medicine Institute (SMI) is offers three paid registration tiers to help enable our colleagues with recent lived experience of homelessness and our colleagues from countries that are offered free SMI membership to register for free.

As a non-profit organization dependent upon this income for our sustainability, SMI asks that you register at the price tier best reflecting your resources and the value you place on participation in the symposium. Paying at the highest tier possible for you allows SMI to include colleagues who have fewer financial resources. As you weigh the most appropriate tier for you and your team, please factor in that ISMS 2026 will include approximately 20 hours of educational content. Also, please remember:

Members of the Street Medicine Institute receive a 50% discount on ISMS registration and the Street Medicine 101 pre-symposium workshop. 

Become a Member
Register for ISMS
  Non-Member SMI Member

Tier 1- Full-price Tier

This registration tier is suggested for physicians, administrators, advanced practice providers, and others from organizations that provide professional-development budgets for employees.
This tier includes continuing education credit.

 $750 $375

Tier 2

This discounted registration tier is suggested for other professionals who need continuing education credit and are paying their own way, or who work for an organization that cannot support a full-price registration.
This tier includes continuing education credit.

 $550 $275

Tier 3

This registration tier is suggested for students (including residents and fellows), outreach workers, and others who are paying for their own registration and do not need continuing education credit.
This tier does not include continuing education credit.

 $150 $75
People with Recent Lived Experience who are not currently in a professional role Free for SMI Members Free
International C Free for SMI Members Free

 
Group Memberships

If you are registering a group of people from your program, please ensure they have first all been included in your Group Membership account. You may continue to add individuals to your Group Membership and register them for the symposium at any time until the symposium. Please contact [email protected] if you require assistance.

Accessing Free Registration

If you live in one of the countries in our International C group or have recently experienced homelessness, please become a member of the Street Medicine Institute for free at the beginning of the ISMS registration process. Once you sign up as a member, you will be able to register for the symposium for free.

The “People with Recent Lived Experience” category is right for you if you have experienced homelessness in the past five years and you are not currently in a professional role. If you are working in a professional role, we kindly ask that you register at the highest registration tier that you or your organization can support.

Register for ISMS

Street Medicine 101 Workshop

Symposium Add-on- Sunday, September 27, 2026

The Street Medicine 101 pre-symposium workshop addresses common challenges among new and developing Street Medicine programs around the world. This high-yield introductory session is targeted to those individuals and organizations new to Street Medicine or in need of expert guidance to launch or enhance their Street Medicine activities. This workshop will provide an instructive overview of the history, principles, and practice of Street Medicine, as well as interaction with experts in the field for guidance and problem-solving. 

Street Medicine 101 was developed for people and programs new to street medicine. If you have already attended Street Medicine 101, we ask that you do not register for the workshop. Street Medicine 101 regularly sells out, and we prioritize space for new attendees. 

  Non-member SMI Member

Street Medicine 101 Workshop

 $70 $35

Continuing Education

ISMS 2026 will include approximately 20 hours of educational content. Details to be announced.

Symposium Schedule

Sunday, September 27, 2026- optional Street Medicine 101 Add-on

8:00 - 9:00 am  Registration and Light Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:00 pm Street Medicine 101 Workshop
12:00 - 1:30 pm Lunch on your own in Halifax
1:30 - 4:30 pm Street Medicine 101 Workshop


Monday, September 28, 2026

7:30 - 8:30 am Registration and Light Breakfast
8:30 am - 4:30 pm Host City Day Lectures and Breakout Sessions (lunch included)
5:00 - 7:00 pm Evening social reception at Halifax Convention Centre (ISMS registrants only)

 
Tuesday, September 29, 2026

7:30 - 8:30 am Registration and Light Breakfast
8:30 am - 5:00 pm Invited International Lectures, Interactive Sessions, & Poster Presentations
(lunch included)


Wednesday, September 30, 2026

7:30 - 8:30 am Registration and Light Breakfast
8:30 am - 12:00 pm Interactive Sessions, Invited International Lectures

Venue

All ISMS events, including the Street Medicine 101 workshop, will be held at Halifax Convention Centre.
Venue address: 1650 Argyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 0E6 Canada

Travel

Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) is the closest international airport to the Halifax Convention Centre. It is located approximately 34 kilometers (21 miles) from downtown Halifax.

An Air Canada discount is available to registered attendees flying to Halifax for the symposium. Discount code provided in your registration confirmation email.

Transportation Options from the airport to the Halifax Convention Centre:

  • Public Transportation: Halifax Transit – Regional Express Route 320: This bus service runs hourly between the airport and downtown Halifax, including a stop near the Halifax Convention Centre. The journey takes about 54 minutes and costs CAD 4.25 one-way .
  • Taxi: Taxis are available at the airport and provide a convenient, direct route to the Convention Centre. The trip takes approximately 28 minutes, with fares ranging from CAD 45 to 60 .
  • Shuttle Services: Several shuttle services operate between the airport and various locations in Halifax, offering another convenient option for travelers. The cost typically ranges from CAD 55 to 80.
  • Car Rentals: Major car rental companies are located at the airport, providing flexible options for those who prefer to drive. Rental desks are situated on the lower level of the Airport Parkade.

Lodging

Hotel options to be announced.