It’s not every day you meet someone with even one passion, much less three or four. But for Physician Assistant Scott Astley, pursuing multiple interests is just another day at the office. Or the rink. Or the tasting room. One thing’s for sure—strike up a conversation with Scott, and you’ll be glad you did. His patients certainly do.

“I really enjoy the social aspects of what I do. I’m a pretty social guy and working with AFM lets me get to know people on a more personal level beyond their medical challenges,” says Astley. “I love the small-town feel of Windsor and the overall safe environment for my two boys here in Northern Colorado. It reminds me in some ways of one of my favorite movies, Doc Hollywood.”

So what does this self-proclaimed socialite do for fun? How do ice hockey leagues and locally distilled whiskies grab you? When he’s not exploring local bike trails with his family or taking advantage of area lakes and rivers, you can find him mixing it up (pardon the pun) on the ice at the local hockey rink or on the rocks at Feisty Spirits—two social outlets of very different kinds.

“It’s an eclectic mix, I’ll grant you that!” jokes Astley.

Actually, it’s not as big a stretch as one might think. Scott and one of the owners of Feisty Spirits play league hockey together, an activity that has led to an association beyond the rink to the friendly confines of the Fort Collins distillery. “I was an early patron there and it was cool to get to know the owners. They appreciate my appreciation for their craft, and I sometimes get to sample their new stuff before it’s available to the public. Plus,” he says wryly, “whiskey is fat-free, so there’s that!” Scott even manages to weave another of his passions, graphic design, into the mix by creating custom composite hockey helmets in his studio at home. How’s that for a well-rounded healthcare professional?

After serving as an active duty Corpsman in the navy and earning his degree in kinesiology, Astley spent several years of working in children’s orthopedics in Denver and for a Colorado Springs orthopedic practice after that. He and his family eventually returned to Northern Colorado, where he went to work for a large hospital system—a move that actually left him longing for the smaller, more personal environments to which he had become accustomed.

Fortunately for Astley, his wife Keslie had taken a job with Associates in Family Medicine, a move which afforded him the opportunity to talk with Dr. Sprowell and other PAs about the benefits of working for the region’s leading locally owned medical group. He joined AFM shortly thereafter and he’s never looked back. Which is not to say he doesn’t look forward on occasion.

“Someday, I’d love to own a high-end whiskey bar where I can spend the time getting to know customers and talk to them about what they’re drinking and how it’s made and such,” says Astley. “And if I could mix hockey into it, even better. A high-class hockey and whiskey bar…on a beach. Does that exist?”

If it doesn’t, it most definitely should.