The parent company of South Shore Hospital said Wednesday that a merger with another health care network is among the options it would likely consider as it begins the second phase of a strategic review.

South Shore Health said in an e-mail to employees that it has hired Cain Brothers, a health care investment bank, to “help sharpen our focus on exploring opportunities for future direction.” In January, the company began examining its operations with an eye toward how to adapt to changes in the health care industry.

In an interview, interim chief executive Rose Di Pietro said South Shore Health has “no preconceived notions” on what steps the company may take as a result of the Cain Brothers review, but she didn’t rule out the possibility of a merger with another organization.