Thursday, May 10, 2012 4:06 am

WOODBURY — The Tennessee Health Care Association (THCA)/Tennessee Center for Assisted Living (TNCAL) has named Annie Smithson, a resident at Woodbury Health Center, to its annual Who’s Who in Tennessee Long-term Care. Honorees in this year’s Who’s Who recognition program, themed “Celebrate the Journey,” include athletes, educators, military veterans and other individuals living in THCA/TNCAL member nursing homes and assisted care living facilities (ACLF) statewide.

Smithson has lived in Cannon County for 94 years. She and her husband bought their first grocery store in 1946. The store later became a Piggly Wiggly and remained in business for 65 years. Smithson also did catering and worked in a shirt factory and a cheese plant in addition to working at the grocery store on the weekends.

Smithson will receive a Who’s Who certificate of recognition during National Nursing Home Week May 13-19, an event celebrating the fundamental role nursing homes play in the continuum of long-term care. Her profile will also be featured on THCA’s website, http://www.thca.org.

“We are so proud to celebrate the journeys of the men and women living in long-term care communities here in Tennessee,” said THCA Executive Director Jesse Samples. “Each year, our members nominate exceptional residents for this honor. Each and every honoree has shaped history and made a difference in the lives of others.”

Since 1983, the Who’s Who in Tennessee Long-term Care program, formerly called Who’s Who in Tennessee Nursing Homes, has honored more than 1,800 outstanding individuals living in member facilities of THCA/TNCAL. This special program recognizes individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to their communities and helped shape history through their insight and actions.

Woodbury Health Center is a member of THCA/TNCAL, a nonprofit organization whose members include senior living facilities located throughout the state. For more information about long-term care in Tennessee, visit www.thca.org.