I have been searching for an outlet in which to express my opinions and ask questions pertaining to human resources. Perhaps this is a place to do that.

I have been involved in the health care arena for 30 years, as an adviser to medical professionals, and as an employee health care benefits consultant. I have been observing the continuing deterioration of our health care system over that time period, and I have shifted a great deal of my time/energy focus to addressing the reasons why our health care system is in such a perilous condition. It is my belief, and the belief of many others who are knowledgeable and conversant in the declining conditions in our system that we are on a catastrophic course measured not only in the breakdown in our ability to deliver adequate services to our citizens, but also in terms of the toll health care will take on our nation’s economy at multiple levels (corporate America among those).

As a group of individuals who have spent a great deal of time and energy contemplating the events in our system, our group of thought leaders have very clear ideas about what must take place in our health care system if it has any hope of delivering adequate, cost-effective service to our nation.

A number of us engaged in exchanges of ideas have felt that employers are the last great field of battle in the effort to gain an upper hand in our out-of-control system. That said, a number share the opinion that the reason this has not happened is that the human resources areas of companies are largely viewed as ineffective at taking on innovation and initiatives to exert a positive influence in health care benefits. In one summation, HR is viewed as the place where ideas and initiatives in this important area go to die.

This is not categorical. But more often than not, ideas that have been presented to HR departments have been shelved, deferred or outright ignored – even when there are definitive examples as to how certain implementations can contribute significantly to the health of employees as well as the financial health of companies.

Help me out if you choose. What do you feel about the views expressed herein? What comments can you offer as to how to penetrate the minds of employer HR areas with ideas that are very high in the probabilities to accomplish positive measurable objectives?