BJ Scharath, MSN, RN
2025 Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame Inductee
BJ Scharath has dedicated more than five decades to advancing nursing practice, education and health care leadership. A graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the University of Alabama with a Master of Science in Nursing, Scharath has held a wide range of clinical, administrative and academic roles throughout her career.
Since 2016, Scharath has served as an adjunct clinical instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, where she teaches in the Family, Community and Health Systems department. Her work in the Community and Public Health Nursing course has focused on immersive student experiences in underserved areas. She co-leads a rural immersion program in Hale County, Ala., where students engage with local EMS, home health services, and the county’s only hospital. The program also partners with Project Horseshoe Farm, a nonprofit addressing social isolation and mental health through community-based care. Students conduct weekly wellness clinics, offering blood pressure and glucose screenings.
Prior to her academic role, Scharath worked at Cahaba Safeguard Administrators, a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, where she served as Medical Review Manager and Clinical Nurse Coordinator for data analysis. Her work involved forensic data mining of Medicare claims to identify fraud and abuse across multiple states. She collaborated with investigators and federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the FBI, to prosecute fraudulent providers. Her final role with the company was based in Detroit, where she supervised nurses reviewing high-value Medicare claims.
Earlier in her career, Scharath held leadership positions at Medical Center East in Birmingham (now UAB St. Vincent’s East), serving as vice president of patient care services and interim chief operating officer. She oversaw nursing operations, pharmacy, emergency services, and social services, and was appointed to the hospital’s board of directors. At UAB Hospital, she directed general surgical nursing and later led medical professional recruitment. Her clinical leadership spanned orthopedics, trauma, transplant surgery and more.
Scharath’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the UAB School of Nursing Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, the Lamplighter Award from the Alabama League for Nursing, and the Sigma Theta Tau President’s Award. She was named one of Alabama HealthScope’s Women in Medicine and holds a leadership certification from the Wharton School of Business.
Beyond health care, Scharath is active in her community. She serves as a poll worker, writes for the Indian Springs Village Voice, and holds leadership roles in the Indian Springs Garden Club and the Cahaba Lily Needlepointers. Her needlepoint work earned Best in Show at the national American Needlepoint Guild seminar in 2023.