Practice for fall scholastic sports will begin next month and Chesapeake Health Care hopes to have its school-based health center at Washington Academy and High School open in time to provide the required physicals.

If not, the Princess Anne center at Somerset Plaza will continue to be available.

Chesapeake Health Care had provided service at the school a few years ago and in April a new memorandum of understanding with the Board of Education was approved to restart the arrangement.

The application is now working its way through the Maryland State Department of Education and its School-Based Health Center program requirements.

"We are very optimistic this will be approved within the next few weeks," said Julie Houk, communications manager for Chesapeake Health Care. "Chesapeake Health Care will then add this location through the Health Resources Service Agency (HRSA) to make this location an active site for our organization."

Once that process is completed the site will become fully operational — which she hopes will be in time to provide physicals for practices which start as soon as Aug. 11. Services for both students and staff will also include evaluations via telemed.

Students trying out for sports who have not had a physical in the past year can pickup a physical form from their school office.