Jan 10, 2026 – A community needs assessment was conducted in Pipalkoti village, located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India. Pipalkoti is a hilly village situated at an elevation of approximately 1,259 meters above sea level. The Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Pipalkoti serves as the main healthcare facility for nine surrounding villages, many of which face significant geographic inaccessibility due to difficult terrain.
These geographic challenges have a direct impact on the social, economic, and health needs of the local population, affecting access to healthcare services, livelihoods, education, and essential resources. The assessment aimed to understand community priorities, gaps in service delivery, and opportunities for sustainable interventions.
Dean Ashish Joshi, University of Memphis School of Public Health, with team of Researchers from Foundation of Healthcare Technologies Society visited the village to implement Public health in Action approach using SMAART model to develop integrated community ecosystems that support healthcare access, digital connectivity, capacity building, and local development, tailored to the unique needs of remote hill communities. This will bring schools, health centers, district administration, police administration and community organizations all together to help create an ecosystem that could meet the social, economic and health needs of the community.
“This will also be a unique opportunity for public health students to understand how to engage community needs assessment in geographically inaccessible settings and the role of systems thinking, human centered design and data driven evidence based decision making.”, says Dean Ashish Joshi, University of Memphis School of Public Health.
He plans to develop SMAART Hubs in Pipalkoti and neighboring villages that could help in the design, development and implementation of public health solutions to address current and new public health challenges of the 21st century.
January 10, 2026 – Dr. Ashish Joshi, Dean of the University of Memphis School of Public Health, team of Researchers and Community Outreach Coordinator from Foundation of Healthcare Technologies Society visiting Pipalkoti village with local officials and people.