2026 National Health Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium

June 8-11, 2026 · Orlando, Florida

Call for Reviewers

The National Health Care for the Homeless Council is pleased to announce our call submission reviewers for the 2026 National Health Care for the Homeless Conference and Policy Symposium, to be held June 8-11, 2026, at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando.

Our conference — the largest of its kind in the nation — brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, advocates, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness to share knowledge, highlight best practices, and advance the Health Care for the Homeless field.

This call for submission reviewers is open to NHCHC members and nonmembers.

At this year's conference, we are excited to showcase many promising practices, models, and examples of leadership that center health equity and partnerships within communities. Our Call for Abstracts is now open.

To help ensure that these educational presentations best meet the needs of our attendees, we are looking for volunteers to help review these abstract submissions and score them in accordance with the criteria below.

Abstract Submission Review Details

Call for Abstracts

Review Process

Abstracts are reviewed blindly and scored by volunteers according to criteria established for each track. Presenter information, affiliations, and identifying information will not be shared with reviewers.

NHCHC reserves the right to recommend changes in the track or focus/content of a proposed educational session or may combine similar abstracts into one session. Submitters will be asked to indicate their willingness to combine abstracts upon submission. If abstracts are combined, submitters will be notified.

Review Criteria

Abstracts are reviewed based on the criteria below:

Theme: The abstract should be reflective of the conference theme.
Experience: Abstracts that are prepared with the involvement of consumers and where consumers are co-presenters will be weighted more positively in the review process.
Relevance: The abstract should address significant, current issues related to health and social justice.
Evidence: For clarity, the abstract should clearly indicate whether practices to be discussed are evidence based, promising, or innovative.
Replicability:The abstract should describe practices and approaches that can be replicated in other HCH health centers, medical respite programs, supportive housing, or homeless service provider settings.
Policy Impact:The abstract should identify and address a topic’s implications for public policy and agency policies.
Inclusion:The abstract should identify components or processes that explain how participants with relevant lived experience were involved in the development, design, or presentation of this submission.
Clarity: Overall, an abstract should be well structured, coherent, and easy to understand.
Format: The abstract should reflect the expectations of the submitted session format.

Review Schedule & Deadlines

Questions?

For inquiries about abstract submission or reviews, please contact: Brett Poe, Senior Events Manager, at bpoe@nhchc.org.

Reviewers: Apply Now

Please complete the form below to apply to be a submission reviewer by Sept. 5, 2025.

Important note: Due to the volume of applications, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council reserves the right to accept or reject reviewer applications.

Name(Required)

First Last

Credentials (e.g., MD, MSW, etc.)

Email(Required)

Organization(Required)

Title/Role(Required)

Have you ever attended a National Health Care for the Homeless Conference before?(Required)

Yes

Do you have lived experience of homelessness?

Yes

Preferred track to review (select all that apply)(Required)

Clinical Care

Evidence and Evaluation

Medical Respite Care

Policy & Advocacy

Program Operations and Innovation

What is your expertise or experience that qualifies you to review for the selected subject area(s)?(Required)

CAPTCHA

About the Event

The annual National Health Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium is the country’s largest gathering of practitioners of homeless health care, medical respite care, advocates, people with lived experience of homelessness, and researchers about homelessness. The conference offers tremendous opportunity to learn, grow professionally, reconnect with colleagues, and make new connections with our community.

Date & Location

Date: June 8-11, 2026

Location:
Loews Saphhire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando
6601 Adventure Way
Orlando, FL 32819

Important Dates & Deadlines

Sept. 5, 2025: Call for Reviewers application deadline
Sept. 12, 2025: Call for Abstracts submission deadline
Oct. 3, 2025: Reviewer scoring complete
Nov. 14, 2025: Staff review complete
Dec. 5, 2025: Abstract submitters notified of acceptance status
Dec. 8, 2025: Conference registration opens
Jan. 5, 2026: Awards, nomination and scholarship applications open
Jan. 31, 2026: Early bird registration deadline
Feb. 27, 2026: Awards, nomination and scholarship applications open

DISCLAIMER

The National Health Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium is presented by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council with grant support from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The views expressed during the conference are not necessarily those of HRSA.

Call for Reviewers

2026 National Health Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium

June 8-11, 2026 · Orlando, Florida

Call for Reviewers

Abstract Submission Review Details

Questions?

Reviewers: Apply Now

About the Event

Date & Location

Important Dates & Deadlines

Subscribe to Council News

Contact Us

Stay Connected