In an effort to improve the quakity of care at the rgional level, Ballad Health has announced it will close the Intensive Care Unit at Sycamore Shoals Hospital in Elizabethton on June 4. The decision has caused complaints from some local leaders, but Ballad Health officials say the decision to consolidate the small ICU with Johnson City Medical Center will boost the number of patients in one place and sharpen the skills for staff.