IMO, WHM should identify as the progression healer, and SE should make it the best healer in mistake-prone environment.

I like the OP's suggestion of messing around with Raise mechanics. Maybe a trait that allows WHM to raise ppl at high HP/MP percentages, maybe they raise already protected, maybe they raise w/o weakness. After all, WHM arguably has the worst drawbacks of all healers when rezzing, maybe it should get a little more to show for it.

I think it would also be neat if Esune could remove weakness.

^ I think the above would make WHM more useful. A well organized farm group would still pull better runs with AST, but WHM would have a solid place.