ALSO NOTED: Nurses picket in WA; Taxing smokes in IN; and much more...

> Nurses hit the picket line at Tacoma, WA-based St. Joseph Medical Center. Article

> Indiana's governor proposes paying for low-income uninsureds by raising the state's cigarette tax. Maybe he'll have better luck than California did. Article

> Healthcare costs for Wisconsin's businesses jumped 9.3 percent last year, despite flat healthcare spending nationally. Article

> A doctor tends to sick children still suffering from Hurricane Katrina's after-effects. Article

> Are women getting enough opportunities to research and write about women's health issues? Perhaps not, one writer says. Blog

> An Illinois foundation hands out $5.6 million in grants to give children better access to oral and mental health services. Release

> Harvard authors suggest that medical researchers can benefit from using the open source community's technology-sharing model. Blog

And Finally… Does the world need even more leadership from Tommy Thompson? Article