Molly Kennedy is a proud Trawlwoolway woman from Tebrakunna Country in Tasmania and a person living with Cerebral Palsy. She brings a unique combination of professional expertise and lived experience to her work in First Nations health, disability inclusion, and health equity.

Molly is the Senior Lecturer in Nursing – First Nations Health at La Trobe University. Prior to joining La Trobe University in May 2026, she worked extensively within the public health sector at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne in an identified role focused on culturally safe practice, workforce development, and advancing equitable healthcare outcomes for First Nations Peoples and other marginalised communities.

Drawing on her expertise across both the disability and First Nations health sectors, Molly's work focuses on developing inclusive, culturally grounded approaches that strengthen relationships, build cultural capability, and support reflective practice across healthcare and education systems. She is committed to improving health and educational outcomes through initiatives that promote cultural safety, equity, and social justice. This includes strengthening the First Nations health workforce through mentoring and capacity-building programs that elevate First Nations voices and leadership.

Molly has designed and facilitated cultural safety education for health professionals, creating opportunities for critical reflection on beliefs, values, assumptions, and biases. Her work supports the development of culturally safe and responsive healthcare practices and contributes to broader organisational change.

Widely known and respected across Victorian and Tasmanian First Nations, health, disability, and academic communities, Molly actively contributes to Communities of Practice, advocacy initiatives, and collaborative research that centre lived experience and amplify the voices of underrepresented communities. As both a First Nations woman and a person living with disability, she brings a valuable intersectional perspective to her leadership, advocacy, teaching, and scholarship.

During her time in the public health sector, Molly completed a Master of Public Health and a Master of Advanced Nursing Practice. She led several significant projects, including initiatives to strengthen the cultural capability of staff at St Vincent’s Hospital and research exploring the experiences and perspectives of non-Indigenous staff participating in cultural safety education. This work contributed to the ongoing funding and sustainability of dedicated cultural safety positions and informed broader approaches to workforce development and culturally safe healthcare delivery.

Molly also contributes to organisational and sector-wide reconciliation and inclusion initiatives through her membership of the Cabrini Health Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Committee, the Leaders in Indigenous Nursing and Midwifery Education Network (LINMEN), and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Victorian Branch RAP Committee.

Through her leadership, advocacy, research, and education, Molly continues to influence culturally safe, inclusive, and equity-focused practices across healthcare and higher education, driving meaningful change for First Nations Peoples, people with disability, and other communities experiencing inequity.