CommunityHealth shines the Volunteer Spotlight on Holly Buckley during September.
Holly Buckley earned her law degree at Loyola University and has built her career at McGuireWoods, LLP, where she serves as a partner and Chair of the Health Care Department. She advises hospitals, medical practices, and ambulatory surgery centers on transaction structuring, regulatory due diligence, affiliation agreements, and more. At CommunityHealth, Holly has gone above and beyond as a Board Member.
Holly first got involved with CommunityHealth in 2024. Growing up in England, where socialized medicine is the norm, she had taken health care access as a given. When she moved to the United States as a young adult, however, she experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating the U.S. health care system: Holly suffered a seizure. Amid the terrifying episode, she recalls that part of her panic was the fear that taking an ambulance ride would send her into debt.
This personal connection to CommunityHealth’s mission has made Holly an incredibly engaged board member. In the past two years alone, her proactive fundraising efforts have brought in over $40,000. Thanks to Holly, McGuireWoods has been a top sponsor of CommunityHealth’s Celebration of Care gala for two consecutive years. She has also found creative ways to expand the organization’s reach. While organizing McGuireWoods’ annual Healthcare Private Equity and Finance Conference in May 2025—which featured Lance Armstrong as a keynote speaker—Holly took the initiative to ask the famous athlete to lead a workout class at Barry’s, with ticket sales supporting CommunityHealth. Through this event, she introduced 50 new individuals to the organization, including Lance Armstrong himself.
Holly is an exemplary board member. We presented her with the 2025 Fundraiser of the Year award because of her passion and creativity in actualizing CommunityHealth’s vision of quality health care for all. We are so grateful to have her!
For her dedicated volunteer service, Holly was awarded 2025 Fundraiser of the Year at the 2025 Volunteer of the Year Awards.
CommunityHealth sat down with Holly to learn more about what quality health care for all means to her…
Tell us more about yourself and your background.
I’m honored to be recognized as Fundraiser of the Year. My background is as a partner at a law firm. I also serve on the Community Health Board.
Why and how did you begin volunteering at CommunityHealth?
I was excited to connect with CommunityHealth because CommunityHealth’s model—high-quality care for those who would otherwise go without—aligns with my belief that health is foundational to dignity and opportunity. I was also so impressed by the CommunityHealth team and wanted to be part of it.
Do you remember your first day? What surprised you
The first day I saw the clinic I was amazed at the variety of services, including the pharmacy, lab, behavioral health, dental, etc. – the care is so integrated and coordinated! I was also impressed with all of the name badges for the volunteers (both the volume of name badges, as well as the length of service).
How has working with CommunityHealth influenced your perception of healthcare?
CommunityHealth is healthcare done right! Not only do patients get to make decisions about what is in their best interest, instead of making a financial decision, but appointments are not scheduled like a conveyor belt and CommunityHealth is a true medical home. I love the focus not just on access, but also on quality. Working with CommunityHealth has reinforced that access is not a luxury—it’s a prerequisite for a functioning, equitable society. It has also underscored how many barriers are logistical, financial, and informational, and how interdisciplinary teams—clinical and non-clinical—are essential to closing gaps.
What does being a healthcare professional mean to you?
Participating with CommunityHealth is how I align my time with my values. I get the satisfaction of seeing generosity turn into concrete results—appointments kept, conditions managed, lives stabilized.
Outside of volunteering with CommunityHealth, how do you like to spend your free time?
I like to spend time with my family, ideally enjoying nature.
Where is your happy place?
My happy place is a quiet early morning time before the day’s calls and meetings.
