November 2023 Volume 8 Issue 1

LETTER FROM THE SOCIETY OF PRACTITIONERS OF
HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT (SOPHIA)

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Dear Readers,

As the president of the Society of Practitioners of Health Impact Assessment or SOPHIA, I am 
excited to introduce this issue of CHIA. SOPHIA is dedicated to promoting the practice and the 
practitioners of HIA and Health in All Policies (HiAP). Our partnership with CHIA is one of the ways 
we provide the connective tissue across the wide array of organizations who lead HIA and HiAP 
work. We also host monthly webinars and a virtual practitioner workshop in December every year. 
The workshop, which takes place December 5 and 6 will feature a presentation on an international 
research effort to understand HIA practice, the introduction of the new HiAP screening tool created 
by the SOPHIA HiAP work group and the latest in using Health Notes as a policy lever. 

In April of next year, we will also sponsor our in-person practitioner workshop in Washington, DC. 
My keynote address, titled, "Cumulative Impact Assessment is HIA 2.0," will explore what is new 
and different in this emerging practice and the role of practitioners in shaping minimum elements 
and practice standards for CIA. If you want to learn more about CIA, we will be hosting a track on 
the second day of the conference featuring thought leaders like Charles Lee of the US EPA's Office 
of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. We will also have lightning talks and roundtables 
on day one and a pre-conference option for an HIA 101 class, so please watch the events page on 
the SOPHIA website.

This edition of CHIA contains two articles that explore health impacts although only one uses the 
formal HIA process. The first article discusses the process and outcomes of a case study from 
the Southern Nevada Health District and what we can all learn from their work. The second article 
focuses on the product design process and how it can be influenced to be more health promoting. 
Both articles focus on changes to policy and design that influence health outcomes. I hope you 
enjoy these articles and can use your takeaways to improve your practice.

Sandra Whitehead
President, SOPHIA