Insider - April 2021

Ames Lab Learning & Development will be launching a book club specifically aimed at professional development in the workplace. The first meeting will be virtual at 12 noon Tuesday, May 11. Subsequent meetings will repeat on the second Tuesday of the month.

• The first book: The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman and Paul White

• Future meetings may occur at Dog Eared Books on Mainstreet 

• Members are expected to participate each month and facilitate at least one session

• Books are provided by Ames Laboratory Learning & Development and can be kept or returned when sessions end.

Group size is limited to 10 participants. If you are interested please email training@ameslab.gov.

Most Americans check their phone notifications 120 times a day, but when is the last time you checked your blood pressure? The best way to know your numbers is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. When a  healthcare professional checks your blood pressure, what do the numbers mean and what do they mean to your health? Let’s go back to science class for just a minute. The top number (systolic) is the first, or upper, number that measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The bottom number (diastolic) is the second, or lower, number which measures the pressure in your arteries between beats. When you have high blood pressure, the long term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may start to cause severe health problems such as heart disease or stroke. According to the new American Heart Association guidelines, a normal blood pressure is less than 120/80. Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings each dangerously high levels (the dark red line in the chart)   

A few people with high blood pressure may experience headaches, shortness of breath or even frequent nose bleeds, but these signs and symptoms aren’t specific and usually don’t occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.

Pre-Covid, a good resource to use was the automatic blood pressure machines at local pharmacies. You could simply walk in to a grocery store or pharmacy and use the public blood pressure machines. While these tools are helpful, they have some limitations. These blood pressure machines do not include different cuff sizes, which are necessary in determining an accurate reading of your blood pressure. Did you know you can stop by Occupational Medicine and get your blood pressure checked without needing an appointment? Well great news, YOU CAN!! Stop by or contact our office at (515)294-2056 to have your blood pressure checked so you can answer the question: “Do I know my numbers?”

Notification of human trafficking policy now required

Ames Laboratory is now under a contractual requirement to notify its employees about the federal government’s policy on combating human trafficking. The United States Government has adopted a policy prohibiting trafficking in persons including trafficking-related activities. This policy is implemented in Ames Laboratory’s Prime Contract DE-AC02-07CH11358 in Clause I.47 with the Department of Energy (DOE) through Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.222-50 – Combatting Trafficking in Persons (OCT 2020).

It is important that you are aware of these requirements. Please do your part to ensure that Ames Laboratory does not support the industry of human trafficking. Employees should report, without fear of retaliation, activity inconsistent with the policy prohibiting trafficking in persons to the Global Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-844-888-FREE or via email at help@befree.org. For more information on the Laboratory's requirement, please refer to this document in ServiceNow, Combating Trafficking in Persons. Additional information about Trafficking in Persons can be found at the website for the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at http://www.state.gov/j/tip/.