The Suzanne & Craig Packer Safely Home Fund


The goal at Burke is for every patient to return home safely and lead as fulfilling and independent life as possible.

The Suzanne & Craig Packer Safely Home Fund was established by a grateful Burke family to provide assistance to our most vulnerable patients so that financial need is never a roadblock to a successful rehabilitation, and a safe transition home and back to the community.

Unfortunately, for some, an ambulette ride home, safety and medical equipment, co-pays for medication, access to proper clothing for therapy – all essential for success - can be out of reach. This fund will provide assistance to eliminate these barriers.

Your generous gift to The Suzanne & Craig Packer Safely Home Fund will level these social determinants of health and assure that all patients have the potential to live as fulfilling a life as possible. We are grateful for your support.

In it's first year, The Suzanne & Craig Packer Safely Home Fund has helped more than 250 patients make a safe transition home.

The People Behind the Numbers:

  • A 9/11 firefighter battling cancer needed medical equipment to go home.
    Neither his insurance nor the 9/11 fund would cover the cost. When the social worker told his wife that we had a fund that would take care of this, she burst into tears.
  • A 21-year-old paraplegic returned home for his mother to care for him. They needed home nursing visits for wound and IV care to insure that he would stay infection free and would not return to the hospital.
  • A young mother of two needed assistance from a home health aide to be able to get around safely in her home as she regained her strength.

A special message from Nick:

"It made a big difference to me that somebody actually helped me with something I needed and couldn't afford. They took care of it. I feel so much better as a person. Thank you very much for your generous gift. I will keep you in my prayers.

Thank you again for helping me out in my time of need."

To learn how you can help patients like Nick and others, please call the Development office at (914)-597-2847 or email giving@burke.org

Inspiring others:

A recent Burke patient and her friend visiting from out of town were discussing the patient’s discharge plan with her social worker. When transportation home became an obstacle, the social worker mentioned access to a discretionary fund. The friend ultimately was able to return to care for her friend, but was so impressed that this fund existed that she immediately made a donation. She also brought the idea of a patient assistance fund back to the hospital she works at in Boston to insure that financial need is never a barrier to a safe return home.

THANK YOU!