The only part I'll disagree with is that the solution includes reducing hard cast heals. Making the kit more compact but accepting healing is in fact a necessary DPS loss would probably make the role (if not game) more interesting for veterans and more accessible for newbies.

Hell, even I quietly went "for fuck sake" when I unlocked Sage and tried to figure out the hotbar setup, even though I had leveled every healer before it. Having two GCDs that can be either pure heal or shielding? Well that's easy enough, but memorizing 20 other mostly superfluous skills right off the bat is where it becomes a chore. It's no wonder average healers are so resistant to moving away from WHM.