Staff

Our well-established private practice was originally founded by Dr. Don Van Schenck in 1981. Dr. Jonathan Thygeson joined the practice in 2011 and took ownership in 2012 when Dr. Van Schenck retired from his administrative duties. Dr. Thygeson is a proud member of the Sutter Independent Physicians Medical Group. He provides pediatric and adolescent medicine care for newborns to college age. We also have had the pleasure of Dr. Marketa Leisure joining the practice in November 2018. She has been practicing medicine for over 30 years. She received her medical degree from University of Chicago. Our most recent addition to our team is Dr. Philip Traquair. 

DOCTORS:

DR. JONATHAN THYGESON

Dr. Thygeson graduated from Loma Linda University Medical School and went on to work as a pediatrician in various healthcare systems over the years before finding his way to ARP. He is one of the highest recognized physicians in Sacramento over the last seven years and named top pediatrician for Sacramento magazine from 2017-2022. He is currently Chairman of Pediatrics for Sutter Medical Center Sacramento since 2020 until 2024. 

On his free time, Dr. Thygeson spends his weekends going snow skiing and doing other outdoor activities. He enjoys spending time with his family, friends, and twin teenage daughters. He also attends the Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist Church on most Saturdays. 

DR. MARKETA LEISURE

Dr. Leisure graduated with her Bachelors degree in Human Biology from Stanford University and attended University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. Before moving to Sacramento, she was residing in Eugene, Oregon where she practiced at Eugene Pediatric Associates. She is also our in-office lactation consultant. Aside from being part of Sutter Independent Physicians since 2019, she also teaches pediatrics as a professor at California North State University College of Medicine. 

In her free time, she enjoys spending her time being active and going hiking and camping. She also likes to spend her time doing photography and dance. Dr. Leisure is fluent in Czech, German, and French in addition to English.

DR. PHILIP TRAQUAIR

Dr. Traquair graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine. Previous to this, during his time in Illinois, he completed his Masters degree in Medical Sociology and his B.S.N. in Nursing. He previously resided in Arizona where he worked as a general pediatrician and also owned his own practice for some time. He has been part of American River Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine since 2020 and is currently the main attending physician at our Carmichael location.

Dr. Traquair enjoys spending his time with his spouse and children. He loves working with children of all ages and interacting with parents about their children. He also likes to join his wife in attending church every Sunday. 

ALAINA NIEBUHR, FNP-C

Alaina is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 10 years of experience.  With a background in both advanced practice and critical care nursing, she brings a well-rounded, compassionate approach to every patient interaction.

Before becoming a nurse practitioner, Alaina spent 7 years as a Registered Nurse working in intensive care units at some of the most respected health systems in the country, including The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford Health Care, and UCSF in San Francisco. Alaina is passionate about patient education, committed to staying up-to-date with the latest healthcare practices and believes in building strong, long-term relationships with patients. 

Outside of work, Alaina enjoys home improvement projects, working in the yard, and chasing her two young kids around.

OFFICE STAFF:

JASMIN J.

As an office manager in a pediatrics office, Jasmin finds great satisfaction in supporting the team in providing exceptional care to young patients and their families. She takes pride in ensuring that the office runs smoothly and efficiently, from managing patient records and scheduling appointments, to overseeing administrative staff and working closely with healthcare providers to provide the best possible care.

In her free time, Jasmin enjoys being around her friends and family. She is currently finishing her Bachelors in Healthcare Administration at National University, in hopes of providing a strong foundation for her work in healthcare management. She is dedicated to continuing her work as an office manager here at American River Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, and looks forward to many more years of supporting the health and wellbeing of young patients and their families.

She is a proud Afghan-American, born and raised in the Bay Area. She speaks Dari and is always able to help fellow Afghans who come in to establish care with our office.

JAIMIE S. 

Jaimie is an assistant manager here at ARP at our Carmichael location. She graduated from Notre Dame de Namur University with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. She moved to Sacramento in late 2020 and previously lived in Hawaii. She is currently applying to medical school and aspires to become a pediatrician. So far, she has enjoyed seeing our patients grow up and hearing the funny stories they have. 

As an assistant manager, she wants to continue to do everything she can to make every doctors visit comfortable for patients, and do everything she can to help patients get the care they need while coordinating with front office and the medical assistants. 

In her free time, she likes to watch movies, hangout with friends and family, and build Legos.

ANNA T. 

Anna is the assistant manager at American River Pediatrics at our Sacramento location and occasionally works in the back office as a medial assistant when needed. She attended and graduated from Carrington College. Anna is a Hmong-American born. Although there are very limited medical terms in Hmong, when given the chance, she strives to interpret to the very little group of Hmong whom speaks and understands very limited English. 

One of Anna's greatest opportunities while working at American River Pediatrics is getting the chance to work both as a receptionist and a medical assistant. Although she mostly works as a receptionist, it's always a great chance to get involved physically with patients and actually get the chance to see them grow. 

AVISHNA S. 

Avishna is a medical biller here at ARP. She was born and raised in Sacramento. She completed her prerequisites course for registered nursing and is pursuing her career as a nurse in the near future. She attended Sacramento City College and graduated in the year of 2022 receiving her associates degree. Her passion right now is to receive her license in coding. Her favorite part of the job is helping patients understand their bills and insurance, helping however she can. 

She enjoys being around infants and children. She has a little one of her own, so she relates to every parent here at ARP. In her free time she loves going on trips to Lake Tahoe with her husband. Avishna is fluent in Hindi and is very comfortable expressing her language with anyone who speaks Hindi. 

FRONT OFFICE:

YANA T.

Yana is a front office receptionist here at American River Pediatrics. She play a crucial role in helping patients by providing translation services in Ukrainian, ensuring that families can communicate clearly and receive the care they need. 

She has years of experience working with children and loves being a part of their healthcare journey. Helping kids and their families feel comfortable and cared for is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. 

She also attended college in the past, however she plans to return to further her education. In her free time she enjoys going to the gym, hiking, and hanging out with friends.

HENA M.

Hena is a front office receptionist here at American River Pediatric. She is a first generation Afghan graduate from Sacramento State University with a B.S. of Health Science expressed interest in Nursing. She is planning to go into Nursing program in the years ahead. Hena is compassionate and dedicated to her work, always ready and eager to help people, offering assistance wherever needed. 

She is a bridge of communication between the Afghan community and healthcare professionals here at American River Pediatric insuring to provide a quality service to them and all the other patients. 

BROOKE M.

Brooke is a front office receptionist here at American River Pediatric. She has years of experience working with children and enjoys helping patients and their families get the care that they need. She attended and graduated from Chico State with her Bachelor's in Psychology.  

In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends, trying new foods, being out in nature, and playing with her dog. 

MEDICAL ASSISTANTS:

CELINA C. 

Celina, also known as CC is a medical assistant and referrals coordinator here at ARP. Her journey began as a front office receptionist, but her passion for working with, and being around, children in her personal and professional life inspired her to transition into a medical assistant role. Celina finds great fulfillment in helping children feel comfortable and cared for during their visits.

 Currently pursuing a career in Sonography, she is furthering her education while continuing to support her team. Outside of work, Celina enjoys exploring the outdoors, hiking, and discovering new places. Proudly half Hmong and half Italian, she values her cultural heritage a brings a diverse perspective to her

BENYAMIN H.

Benyamin "Ben", is a Medical Assistant here at American River Pediatrics. Ben is currently attending Sacramento City College and pursuing a pre-health pathway with the goal of entering the medical field. He's always been passionate about healthcare, and he loves seeing healthy kids and being a part of their care. Ben speaks Farsi and enjoys being able to support Persian-speaking families who come to our office. 

Benyamin's cultural background is important to him, and he is proud to bring that perspective to the care he provides. Ben is excited to continue learning and growing in the medical field as he works toward his future career.