Meet our Veterinarians

Dr. Steve Stephan is the owner and founder of Bernville Veterinary Clinic.  He is a Tulpehocken High School Class of 1978 graduate. He attended Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, earning his VMD in 1987. His medical areas of interest are feline and canine medicine as well as soft tissue surgery.

Dr. Stephan has lived in Bernville for most of his life, now living with his wife and three children who all attend or attended Tulpehocken and participate in athletics. Their oldest son is now attending Penn State University. Living with the Stephans are their wildly misbehaving four dogs and three cats. Dr. Stephan enjoys Tulpehocken and Penn State athletics as well as visual and musical arts in his spare time.

Dr. Lee Pickett enjoys working with dogs, cats, ferrets and pockets pets. Her professional interests include internal medicine, acupuncture, parasitology and pharmacology. She writes magazine articles on pet health care as well as “Ask the Vet’s Pets," a veterinary advice column that appears every Friday in the Reading Eagle.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Hartwick College and her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She has received numerous awards, including the University of Pennsylvania’s Mikus Prize that recognized her proficiency in veterinary medicine and commitment to veterinary medical ethics. She was profiled in a Philadelphia magazine cover story of Great Vets, and she has appeared on many television shows.

Dr. Pickett developed and taught a course on Veterinary Medicine for Pet Owners for the Reading Area Community College, co-founded PetNet to provide foster care for animals affected by domestic violence, and served on the boards of directors of the Humane Society of Berks County and Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue.

She lives in Bernville with two dogs, two cats and one husband.

Dr. Heather Westfall joined the staff of Bernville Veterinary Clinic in 2007 and is a 2005 graduate of the The School of Veterinary Medicine at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Westfall received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from West Chester University. Before deciding to go to veterinary school, she worked in several animal health related positions, including kennel technician, adoption counselor, and kennel manager in animal shelters. She also worked as a receptionist and veterinary technician at a 24-hour referral and emergency hospital for more than ten years.

Dr. Westfall's professional interests include internal medicine, pharmacology, pathology, autoimmunity, soft tissue surgery, pain management, and animal welfare. She especially enjoys working with small dogs and seniors and appreciates their special needs in handling and care.

Dr. Westfall has been active in rescue for senior, small breed, and special needs fur kids for most of her lifetime.  She and her husband, Dan, have built their lives around fostering, “fixing,” and finding homes for animals who otherwise would likely not have much chance of adoption. She has worked with the Humane Society of Berks County, Grey Muzzle Rescue, and several other rescues with the ultimate goal of rehabilitation of older, injured or sick animals and finding their ultimate "furever" homes.

She currently cares for a motley crew at her home that she considers her kids: 12 dogs, three cats, two horses, a pony, and an ornery goat.